Shuttleworth Named Interim City Manager
By Chris Johnson on April 10, 2025
Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Director Joe Shuttleworth has been named the interim City Manager.
The decision came during Thursday’s special City Council meeting and on the heels of last week’s special meeting where Council voted 5-1 to remove Patrick Ford without cause from the City Manager position. More on that decision on April 3 HERE
Shuttleworth was named Parks and Recreation Director for the city in 2018 after more than 20 years in the department as the deputy director.
Also during Thursday’s special meeting, Council approved a revision to the general fund budget.
The budget revision covers the cost of Ford’s contract buyout, and that total is $175,150, which includes Ford’s $150,000 buyout, four weeks of vacation, and a pair of earned days off. Additionally, it includes costs pertaining to Social Security and three months of contributions to his insurance plan.
Council unanimously voted in favor of naming Shuttleworth the interim City Manager.
Shuttleworth, who was not present at Thursday’s meeting, will be sworn in as early as Friday morning by City Recorder Hank Murray.
“It’s a very difficult situation,” Mayor Andy Lang said. “One Councilman (Don Burton) made the suggestion and that’s the first name we started talking about. It seemed very logical. Joe has been with the city for a long time. He’s a great guy. He knows all the processes.
“I think any interim City Manager falls back on this, and we have said this many times, we have great department heads. We have a great staff. So therefore, that’s what is important. Yes, you are interim City Manager but it’s not as much a burden as being the interim City Manager in a lot of cities, because we have great department heads.”
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