A look into Williamston City Manager Corey Schmidt’s resignation

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Williamston City Hall on Sept. 27, 2021, the night that Williamston City Council approved Schmidt’s resignation.

Madison Rose

Williamston City Hall on Sept. 27, 2021, the night that Williamston City Council approved Schmidt’s resignation.

Corey Schmidt will officially step down from his role as Williamston City Manager on Nov. 8, 2021.

“I submitted that notice with a heavy heart,” Schmidt said. “I’ve been, you know, in Williamston for about three and a half years, but I’ve been in local government for about 10 years. So, it’s been my career path, and it’s certainly a very rewarding field to work in. You get a chance to really make an impact on a community, with projects, and programs and things like that.”

Schmidt resigns to focus on family

Corey Schmidt’s official resignation letter. He later took the time to personally call each council member and board chair to let them know about his new opportunity.

Corey Schmidt

Corey Schmidt’s official resignation letter. He later took the time to personally call each council member and board chair to let them know about his new opportunity.

Schmidt resigned to work in the private sector as that will allow him to spend more time with his wife and two young sons as the commitments of the city manager role were taking away from his role as a husband and father. 

“Family, in my opinion, always comes first,” said Mayor Tammy Gilroy. “No job is more important than your quality of life with your family. It’s not about quantity of time you’re spending with them, it’s about the quality of time, and being a city manager takes a lot of effort. It’s not an eight to five job because in municipalities things happen after hours that you may need to respond to. We have a lot of meetings that take place in the evenings and sometimes there’s multiple meetings per week. So that’s taking time away from family, and so I respect him for putting his family first, and I would not expect anything less than that from him.”

Schmidt looks back at his time spent in office

Schmidt started as the city manager of Williamston on June 11, 2018 and has worked on multiple infrastructure projects and has submitted, and been approved for numerous grants for the city.

Schimdt is most proud of two projects in particular: the remodeling of Volunteers Community Park and the replacement of the boardwalk along the Red Cedar River with a paved pathway system.

He was originally attracted to the job as Williamston City Manager because of the diverse mix of businesses, residential areas and industry.

“It’s just a great place,” said Schmidt. “It’s got a great identity, kind of around that small town charm.”

Schmidt will miss most the camaraderie between the different city groups such as civic organizations and city committees, along with the reward of completing projects that will benefit the community for years, but he is excited for the transition to a new industry and for the additional time he will be able to spend with his family.

“Corey, thank you. It’s been an honor,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Noah Belanger after approving Schmidt’s resignation. 

Schmidt wishes the city the best. 

City of Williamston seeks to replace Schmidt 

Williamston is accepting city manager applications until Nov. 1, 2021. The role requires a minimum of five years of municipal experience, a minimum of three years of supervisory experience and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration or a related field. The responsibilities of the job include acting as the chief administrative officer of the city. 

“I would like somebody that’s going to take what Corey is leaving behind, and keep it moving forward in a positive movement,” said Gilroy.

Listen to Madison Rose’s interview with City Manager Corey Schmidt here!

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