Staff Reports | Community Updates
Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton is announcing his retirement effective Nov. 14, 2025.
Beginning his career with the city of Phoenix as an internal auditor in 1999, Mr. Barton served in numerous leadership roles, including budget and research director, deputy city manager, assistant city manager, and made history as the first African American city manager in Phoenix, officials at City Hall tell the Digital Free Press.
Throughout his career Mr. Barton focused on meeting the needs of the community and under his leadership, the municipality navigated numerous challenges and embraced opportunities to improve the quality of life for all residents.
“I want to thank the mayor and council for their confidence in providing me this opportunity to serve the people of Phoenix,” Mr. Barton said in a prepared statement. “It has been a privilege to work alongside the hardest working public service professionals in the country, whose dedication and commitment have been the cornerstone of our success towards building the Phoenix of tomorrow.”
During his tenure, Mr. Barton played an instrumental role in several key initiatives that significantly contributed to the city’s growth and development.
Notably, he successfully led the development and implementation of a voter-approved $500 million general obligation bond program, which funds critical infrastructure and rehabilitation needs for city facilities such as parks, libraries, fire and police stations, affordable housing, streets, and storm drains, all without raising the property tax rate.
Also, Mr. Barton introduced the FundPHX Tool, which enhanced community participation in the budget process, allowing residents to have direct input in how city funds are allocated. Furthermore, he updated the City Manager’s Performance Dashboard to improve transparency and provide clear performance indicators for municipal operations.
Mr. Barton played a pivotal role in economic development, working with major employers to create high-quality jobs and boost the local economy.
He simultaneously supported vulnerable communities, including those experiencing homelessness, by helping the city add 1,200 indoor shelter beds and 300 additional spaces at the safe outdoor space.
Phoenix City Council will begin discussions in the coming weeks to select the next city manager.
