Maywood : Locher Quits City Job, Cites Growing Financial Woes
Chief Operating Officer Leonard Locher, who has been with the city for more than 20 years, resigned Tuesday, saying it is too difficult to manage a city in these times of fiscal belt-tightening. Building and Planning Director Ron Lindsey has been named acting chief operating officer.
Locher, 61, was first elected to the City Council in 1968 but stepped down two years later to become city clerk. He was named chief operating officer in 1980 but kept the duties of the clerk.
Although Locher has been planning his retirement since last year, he said the tough financial times facing the city made his decision easier. In the past five years, the city has made staffing reductions in the Police Department, at City Hall and in park maintenance. He said that even the most minor state budget cuts, for example, would devastate the city’s $3.9-million budget.
“The ‘80s were a pleasant time in city government,” Locher said. “Now it’s just tough to make ends meet.”
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