By Beth Duckett | The Arizona Republic
Less than two weeks into the job, Scottsdale City Manager Fritz Behring has made a home out of the office vacated by four city managers in the past five years.
There are plush leather chairs and photos on the wall of cowboys, which he chose from Scottsdale’s public art collection.
“I like the simplicity,” he said.
On May 22, Scottsdale’s City Council, in a rare unanimous vote, chose Behring for the position, lauding his experience and push for transparency as former manager of Pinal County. He replaces acting City Manager Dan Worth, the public works executive director.
Worth’s predecessor, David Richert, resigned last summer, saying he had lost support from the mayor and some council members. Previous city managers Jan Dolan and John Little left in 2008 and 2009, respectively, under similar circumstances.
“The fact we’ve had turnover the way we’ve had sends the wrong message,” Behring said. “My hope is that that has stopped and we’ll have some stability moving forward.”
Behring, who was recently named the 2013 County Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine, plans to break the trend.
