Cites ‘hostility’ from supervisors; board brings back Phil Bourdon
Yavapai County Manager Maury Thompson gave his immediate resignation to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on the morning of Oct. 1 prior to the regular meeting and a special meeting to discuss the Rural Services Master Plan. Thompson was not in attendance at either of those meetings, and did not respond to a NEWS request for comment.
“Due to a pattern of well-documented and growing hostility, and now, communication with me ceasing, I am being effectively prevented from performing the functions of my position,” Thompson wrote in his letter of resignation to Director of Human Resources Wendy Ross. “Today’s action to place an agenda item before the board, altering the organizational structure without communication with me, inconsistent with the board’s adopted Rules of Order, and the organizational structure adopted by the board on June 7, 2023, clearly convey my services as county manager are no longer desired.”
“I don’t have any information on that,” Yavapai County spokesman David McAtee said in response
to Thompson’s claim of “growing hostility.”
“I never witnessed any hostility,” Supervisor Nikki Check [D-District 3] said.
Check said Thompson did not communicate his concerns with her or the board prior to his resignation.
“I refer to the [county] press release at this point,” Supervisor Dee Jenkins [R-District 2] said when asked for comment.
During an executive session on June 7, 2023, the board approved placing the assistant country manager, budget manager, communications manager and the clerk of the board under the county manager.
Thompson’s major issue was an Oct. 1 consent item that was unanimously approved on Wednesday “to modify the [county’s] organizational chart to clarify that the clerk of the board is appointed by and reports to the board of supervisors, rather than the county manager,” the agenda reads.
“As such, it has become apparent that for the health of the organization, and myself, it is no longer in our mutual interest that I remain in my position,” Thompson wrote.
During its closed-door executive session on Oct. 1, the board had two agenda items related to the county manager position: “to discuss and conduct a performance appraisal of the county manager” and “discussion and consideration of terms of employment and an employment agreement with the county manager.”
Instead the board emerged from the executive session with Supervisor Brooks Compton [R-District 1] motioning to accept Thompson’s resignation and “to waive the notice requirement and to send notice to Mr. Thompson of the county’s acceptance of the cancellation of his contract,” the motion was seconded by Check and was approved unanimously.
“The timing of Maury Thompson’s resignation is more than abrupt,” Check wrote in an Oct. 2 statement. “It came the morning before he was to receive his first performance review from the Board of Supervisors. To be clear, I witnessed no hostility towards Mr. Thompson. I attended my regularly scheduled meeting with him on Monday and communicated cordially with him.”
Hired on Sept. 9, 2022, Thompson started in his position on Dec. 1, 2022, after spending over 15 years with Johnson County government in Kansas with five years as an assistant county manager and the last four years as a deputy county manager.
Yavapai County’s press release wishes Thompson “the best in his future endeavors,” and to see the county’s website for updates on the selection process for his successor.
The board held closed-door executive sessions on Friday, Oct. 3, and Monday, Oct. 6, to discuss the selection process. They decided to bring back Phil Bourdon, who previously worked for the county for more than 26 years, serving over 10 years as county administrator and manager, and is who Thompson replaced.
On Oct. 6 “Compton motioned to appoint Phil Bourdon as County Manager at the same rate of pay as the recently departed manager,” the meeting agenda reads. “Additionally, Bourdon shall receive in advance 20 vacation days to be repaid under county accrual policy with no payout of any advanced vacation pay upon end of employment. Seconded by Chair Mallory; [the motion] passed unanimously.”
Bourdon is anticipated to start on Monday, Oct. 20
