Gary Scott, Conroe city administrator and acting city attorney, and Deputy City Administrator Nancy Mikeska are retiring from the city effective May 13, creating two immediate vacancies in top leadership roles.
Scott and Mikeska confirmed the retirements in a May 11 email sent to Community Impact, and said Mayor Duke Coon told them during a May 8 meeting that the city was “immediately going in a new direction.”
“The mayor was clear that this was his decision and that none of the current council members or the incoming council members had been consulted,” Scott and Mikeska said in the email.
In a May 12 interview with Community Impact, Coon said the retirements were Scott and Mikeska’s decision.
“I want to be very clear that’s their decision that they made, and I have no comment on the executive salaries; that had nothing to do with my conversation with them whatsoever. I just wish them the best of luck, and we’re moving forward with a new start,” Coon said.
The details
In the email, Scott and Mikeska said they decided to “celebrate everything we have accomplished and immediately retire as requested by the mayor.”
“It has never been our desire to create a spectacle or further divide the city by subjecting our supporters to more hate,” they said in the email.
Scott’s retirement letter states he is retiring after 25 years with the city, effective at the end of the day May 13. He has served in several roles since joining Conroe in August 2001, including assistant city attorney, city attorney, interim city administrator, city administrator and acting city attorney, according to the letter.
Mikeska’s retirement letter also states her retirement is effective May 13. In the letter, she said she had “a long and successful career” serving elected officials and residents and had served five mayors and “so many wonderful council members.”
What the mayor is saying
Coon thanked Scott and Mikeska for their time with the city.
“Listen, I thank them for their service to the city and wish them the best of luck in their retirement,” Coon said. “And I’m excited about a new start. I’m excited about a new City Council coming in. ... The city of Conroe looks bright, and I could not be more excited for our future.”
When asked about Scott and Mikeska saying the May 8 meeting led to their retirements, Coon said he did not want to discuss the details of the conversation.
“Well, I will tell you this. I was in an agenda review meeting, I would consider those conversations back there between us,” Coon said.
Coon said future decisions on filling the city administrator, city attorney and deputy city administrator roles on both an interim and permanent basis will be made by the council once placed on a City Council agenda.
“With those positions, all those decisions will be made by the new council,” Coon said. “As we move forward, as you know, all of this just happened on Friday, so those decisions will be a group decision made by council at an open meeting.”
Coon declined to comment directly on Scott and Mikeska’s May 11 email.
“I have no response to anything they said in their email whatsoever. I just wish them the best of luck, I truly do, and happiness moving forward,” Coon said. “The city is moving in a different direction.”
What they’re saying
Scott and Mikeska said they asked for a transition period to help with ongoing city work, but that request was not included in the mayor’s plan.
“We requested a transition period to assist with continuity on ongoing matters and projects; however, that request appeared to not be a part of the mayor’s plan,” they said in the May 11 email. “We are concerned at the lack of a transition period and the immediate vacancies this decision creates for ongoing operations and active projects.”
In his retirement letter, Scott pointed to several city milestones during his tenure, including settlements tied to the San Jacinto River Authority and Willis ISD lawsuits, progress on Old Conroe Road, the David Memorial Drive extension interlocal agreement, long-term debt reductions, employee pay and benefit changes and city ethics ordinances.
“Serving the citizens of Conroe—and previously those in other Texas communities—has been a source of purpose and genuine joy,” Scott wrote in the letter.
How we got here
The retirements come less than two months after Conroe City Council voted to end executive contracts for several city employees, including Scott and Mikeska, and convert their employment to at-will status, according to prior Community Impact reporting.
Council approved nearly $1.85 million in payouts tied to the contract terminations, including $644,834 for Scott and $524,699 for Mikeska, according to prior reporting.
Stay tuned
The retirements come as Conroe continues to face city issues and projects, including ongoing Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center discussions, road and development projects, and water infrastructure challenges.
Conroe City Council is set to meet May 14 and May 28, according to the city’s website.
