Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly announced his retirement Friday after more than four years in the position, overseeing the city amid multiple controversies within its police department.

Twombly, 68, cited his desire to spend more time with his family, particularly his grandchildren. He said of the four cities he’s managed, he enjoyed his time in Aurora the most. His last day will be April 7.

“Although there have been many unexpected challenges during my tenure here, I have tried to lead with a steady hand while being responsive to both the Council and the community,” Twombly wrote in a letter to City Council members obtained by The Denver Post. “I believe I will be leaving the City of Aurora with a high performing, knowledgeable and competent staff.”

The City Council selected Twombly for the position out of four finalists in 2018. His current salary is $269,401.

Twombly wrote in his letters to council and staff that he has worked for 42 years in public service. Prior to starting in Aurora, he was employed as a city manager from 2009 to 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From 2004 to 2009, he worked as the city manager in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and from 1994 to 2004 as the city administrator in Pella, Iowa, according to a city news release.

He led the city during a period of time marred by problems within the Aurora Police Department. In 2021, Twombly participated in efforts to create more oversight of the agency and to establish an independent monitor. Those actions followed the release of a damning report detailing the investigation into the 2019 death of Elijah McClain after a violent arrest by Aurora police.

Twombly hired Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson, the first woman to lead the department, after the retirement of former chief Nick Metz, to lead the department in implementing reforms — including those required by a court-monitored consent decree.

But last year, he fired Wilson amid mounting pressure by conservative members of the City Council and the police union to do so. Twombly denied firing Wilson because of political reasons, saying the reason she was let go was because she prioritized community involvement but not internal and police operations.

Wilson was hired to replace former chief Nick Metz during Twombly’s tenure to lead the department and implement reforms — including those required by a court-monitored consent decree — following the death of Elijah McClain during a violent arrest by Aurora police. She publicly fired at least a dozen police officers for wrongdoing. But she faced criticism for rising crime in the city and the number of police officers leaving the agency, and ultimately was fired.

Former Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo was named the interim chief on an indefinite trial period.

City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky worked with Twombly over her past year on the council and she said she wanted to thank the city manager for his service. Jurinsky said morale among city staff seems to be high, which she credits to Twombly.

Although Twombly has dealt with criticism from council members, Jurinsky said any issues are tied to  “such a divided council.”

“For any one person to have to answer to 10 bosses and 10 different ideas and 10 personalities, and of course, political differences, that’s hard to navigate,” she said.

Councilman Juan Marcano commended Twombly for his professionalism, creative thinking and efficiency in responding to residents’ concerns. While Marcano said he disagreed with how Twombly handled the firing of Wilson, he lauded him for the work he’s done since 2018.

Twombly’s legacy, Marcano said, is “getting the city through a lot of very challenging times. We had civil unrest, a consent decree, a global health pandemic, and just navigating water issues here,” and Twombly helped make Aurora a leader in water conservation efforts.

City Council members expect to meet in a closed-door meeting Feb. 13 to discuss next steps for hiring.