In the end, some were surprised, others were not. The end was the announcement from City Manager Philip G. Sunderland that he was leaving office.
He announced his resignation to City Council in a closed meeting during last Wednesday night’s legislative meeting.
“I have had 18 wonderful years with Alexandria, lawyering and managing and experiencing local government from just about every angle,” Sunderland said. “But now it’s time to pursue the personal and professional interests that the demands of these jobs have not permitted. Among many other things, my desire is to teach, ideally at the college or law school level, and to return to lawyering.”
Mayor William D. Euille was not surprised. “I had been talking with Phil about this decision for the past several weeks and even months,” Euille said. “I tried to talk him out of it and then wouldn’t even talk to him for a period of time, hoping that he would change his mind.
“Finally, I realized that Phil just wanted to focus on other career opportunities and I must respect that decision.
“Phil’s decision had nothing to do with his relationship with this Council — he has a very good working relationship with all of us. Also, it didn’t have anything to do with money. Phil didn’t even want to discuss that. He just wants to do other things, especially teach and return to practicing law,” Euille said.
THE CITY WILL begin a national search to replace Sunderland. “We have hired a national search firm and I am going to meet with them this week,” Euille said. “We will discuss this fully at next week’s Council meeting but I am proposing that we convene a citizens group to help us formulate criteria for the selection process.
“I hope that the search firm can use that criteria to market the position and develop a qualified pool of applicants.
"In September, when Council reconvenes, we hope to begin the interview process and have someone under contract no later than Oct. 15,” Euille said.
SUNDERLAND FIRST came to Alexandria to work in 1986, hired to be the city attorney. Before that, he was a partner in a public interest litigation firm in Washington, D.C. From 1986, to 2000, he served as city attorney. He was hired to replace Vola Lawson, who retired as city manager in February of that year.
Former Mayor Kerry J. Donley hired Sunderland to be the city manager. “I have never worked with anyone as dedicated or hard-working as Phil,” Donley said. “During his tenure, the city has moved forward on several initiatives — we completed the planning and zoning processes at Potomac Yard and Carlyle; we started the downtown managers program and the all eyes program and we have kept our financial house in great order. Phil has served the city well and his leaving is a tremendous loss.”
Councilman Paul Smedberg agreed with Donley. “I was surprised that he decided to leave and we are going to miss him,” he said. “We have accomplished a lot in a year. I wish him all the best but this is a tremendous loss.”
While many expressed the same sentiments as Smedberg, there are some in the city who didn't see eye-to-eye with the city manager in many respects. The handling of the Katelynn Frazier case, was one example. Many critics urged Sunderland to replace the director of Human Services during the investigation process into the death of the local 3-year-old. Many critics were not happy with the way Sunderland handled the internal investigation.
One Alexandria critic, Townsend "Van" Van Fleet, who ran for mayor in the last city elections wrote in a Letter to the Editor (Gazette, June 17) "Sunderland performed well as the city attorney, however, he had no qualifications to become the city manager and should never have been named to that position. He had no formal training in public administration, therefore, he has been doing his On the Job Training for the past four years at our expense. His role in the Katelynn Frazier fiasco should have been ground enough to terminate his contract."
Sunderland has agreed to stay on until a new city manager is hired and on the job.