Kennedy said earlier this month that when the new town manager comes on board, she will "walk out."
FILE | 01.03.2005 – Palmer acting town manager Patricia A. Kennedy has announced her retirement on June 30. PALMER – Acting Town Manager Patricia A. Kennedy has announced that she will retire on June 30, but said she will also offer her services on a per diem basis for two to three days a week until a new town manager is hired.
Kennedy met with Town Council President Eric A. Duda on Friday to inform him of her decision.
In her letter to the council, she wrote that it has been both a “pleasure and a challenge” to serve as the interim town manager, but said it is now time to pursue other interests and spend more time with her family.
News of her impending retirement is not a surprise. She said earlier this month that when the new town manager comes on board, she will “walk out.” She also did not include her previous position of executive assistant in the fiscal 2012 budget.
Kennedy said she does not want to train another town manager, and said she has been thinking about retiring for a while.
“I just made up my mind. The time is right,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy has been serving in the post since former town manager Matthew S. Streeter was terminated in June over concerns about his job performance. She also served as interim town manager for about four months after Richard L. Fitzgerald was fired in April 2008, and as acting town administrator for more than a year after John A. Griffin left that job in October 2003.
Duda, who said he is sorry to see Kennedy go, said resumes for the town manager position are being accepted until June 30.
Duda said the council will discuss the next steps regarding the town manager search, and whether another interim town manager will need to be appointed, at its next meeting. The next regularly scheduled meeting is June 13.
“I’m sorry to see her leave. Her services without a doubt are really appreciated by me and without a doubt other people in town. She’s done admirably. I think she has been a huge asset to the town. I think the position can be overwhelming, but she has done the best she could,” Duda said.
Kennedy grew up in Palmer and now lives in Belchertown. She said she first started working in the town clerk and tax collector offices 23 years ago, then moved into the selectmen’s office, which became the town manager’s office in 2005 when the form of government changed.
Kennedy said she is sure she will miss the job, but said she also is looking forward to devoting time to her hobbies of gardening and photography.
“This is a change, a different phase in your life. Everyone I talk to that’s retired said they wish they did it earlier,” Kennedy said.