Phoenix's first African-American city manager

Phoenix City Council members on Wednesday bid farewell to outgoing City Manager Jeff Barton, who earned unanimous praise from the council.

“If you ever wanted a model of someone who stood tall and did the right things for the right reasons, it’s Jeff Barton,” Councilmember Kevin Robinson said during Wednesday’s council meeting.

Barton’s last day will be Friday, Nov. 14, but this was his last time appearing at a council meeting.

Barton began his career with the city as an internal auditor in 1999 and later served as budget and research director, deputy city manager, assistant city manager and made history as the city’s first African American city manager in 2021.

Barton will be succeeded by the same man who preceded him in the role, Ed Zuer

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