Burchfield to be Assistant City Manager

In a move that that will save the city as much as $150,000 every year, Historic City News has learned that incoming City Manager John Regan has decided to promote Chief Administrative Officer Timothy A. Burchfield into a newly created position of “Assistant City Manager”.

In addition to a package of other benefits, Chief Administrative Officer included a salary of $110,181.68 for Burchfield — it is not clear if he will be offered more money.

Regan was retained as City Manager under a five-year employment contract which includes a salary of $131,000 plus a number of other perquisites, insurance and other benefits.

“The position of Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Operations Officer will no longer exist,” Regan told Historic City News Editor Michael Gold at City Hall this afternoon.

“We will all have to share in the work,” Regan said. “The workload will continue — we’ll just be doing it with one less person.”

The new City Manager and Assistant City Manager will assume their roles as of Thursday.

“Through the years Burchfield’s knowledge of the City’s financial obligations and responsibilities, as well as the day to day inner working of the departments has been invaluable to me,” Regan will report to the City Commission at its regular meeting tonight. “His experience and knowledge will be required in the coming months and years as the City of St. Augustine continues to move forward and continues making St. Augustine a viable city in which to live and work.”

Burchfield’s 20 years of city service have included directorships of the Financial Services and General Services departments before elevation several years ago to chief administrative officer.

Photo credits: © 2010 Historic City News staff photographer