After four years in charge of Phoenix, Jeff Barton plans to retire before the end of this year.

PHOENIX — Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton announced Friday he plans to step down later this year.

After about four years of leading one of the largest cities in the country, Barton is planning to retire from his position on Nov. 14. 

“I want to thank the Mayor and Council for their confidence in providing me this opportunity to serve the people of Phoenix,” Barton said in a statement.  “It has been a privilege to work alongside the hardest working public service professionals in the country, whose dedication and commitment have been the cornerstone of our success towards building the Phoenix of tomorrow.”

Barton started working for the city in 1999 as an internal auditor before working his way up to the city manager’s office.

Barton’s tenure as city manager started at about the same time as the U.S. Department of Justice was beginning to investigate the city’s police department. The years-long probe eventually resulted in the release of a critical report in 2024, the findings of which were later retracted by the DOJ under the Trump administration.

The city manager is essentially responsible for presiding over the day-to-day operations of the city and answers to the Phoenix’s elected officials on the city council. The city manager is the one position directly hired by the council.

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