Kodiak Island Borough Manager to Retire Sooner than Expected

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Kodiak Island Borough Manager Bud Cassidy gave his 90-day notice at the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly work session Thursday. The timing may have been a surprise, but Cassidy says he’s been thinking about retirement for a while.

“I actually had taken a fairly long vacation, did some hiking in Canada and came back and probably felt that I really wanted to channel my energies in a different direction, that I probably have done thirty years in local government and I’m interested in probably a change.”

Cassidy says he had originally told the assembly that he would like his contract extended to the end of the fiscal year, which is late June, and the assembly has been advertising for a new borough manager since November.

Cassidy says the assembly had not expected the resignation at this time, but that he wants to redirect his efforts from the day-to-day stress of local government.

“I mentioned there are some tensions going on between the assembly and the manager, and again, I needed to determine if I wanted to be part of their effort or not, and I chose to retire. But, saying that, let me mention that this is going to be a difficult year. Anyone who has kept their eye on the news knows the state of Alaska is in pretty dire straits.”

Although the assembly faces budget issues, Cassidy says it’s up to the challenge.

Cassidy is retiring after a long history with the borough. He’s been manager for about three and a half years, but previously worked as the community development director for five years, the engineering and facilities director for six years and as the resource manager for about 15 years.

Cassidy says he’s been thinking about how he’ll spend his retirement, and besides getting to know his new grandchild, he says he imagines himself volunteering and getting all the housework done that been building up over the last thirty years.  

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