November 14, 2024
Mike Tanner
WATERTOWN, S.D.–Watertown’s city manager is leaving.
KWAT News has confirmed Amanda Mack has turned in her resignation to the city council, and has accepted a similar position in Harrisburg.
Mack was hired as Watertown’s first-ever city manager in May of 2021, and began her duties the following month.
She came to Watertown after serving as city manager of Spencer, Iowa for nearly four years. Prior to that, she was the city manager in Canton and city administrator in Worthing, South Dakota.
Mack tells KWAT News her last day on the job in Watertown will be January 6th. She’ll begin her new job in Harrisburg as city administrator on January 27th.
While happy in Watertown, Mack says the opportunity in Harrisburg and the five year contract she was offered were too good to pass up.
Mack’s time in Watertown came during a period when several major construction projects were completed, including a new airport terminal, ice arena, and Community Foundation Plaza.
Harrisburg, located just south of Sioux Falls, is South Dakota’s fastest-growing city. growing at a rate of nearly 10-percent annually.
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Here’s what Mack said in her resignation letter to the Watertown City Council:
Mayor Holien, Councilmembers Tupper, Peters, Schutte, Buhler, Danforth and Jurrens and esteemed Colleagues:
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you of my decision to resign as City Manager effective January 6, 2025. I have been offered and have accepted the City Administrator position with the City of Harrisburg. I was not actively searching for new opportunities; however, the Lord puts things in front of us for a reason, and after much consideration and discernment, my family and I have made the decision that this opportunity, personally and professionally, is one that we simply could not pass up.
It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as the City’s first City Manager, and I have cherished my time working here. Together, we have changed Watertown’s future by forging the path of this new form of government together. This work, however, is not complete, and will take dedication, intentionality and courageous conversations to continue to adapt to this new governance model. The change in governance is a generational change, and as we all know, that takes time. Many communities who have gone through this transition have faced the same growing pains that we have, but I feel confident that the organization we have built, the procedures we have put into place, and the accomplishments we have made will not only propel this community forward, but will be of great advantage to the next City Manager to take the reins and run into the future.
It is nearly impossible to list all of the small and major things we have done and accomplished in the last 3.5 years, but I’ll try! Some of this list is widely known: Prairie Lakes Ice Arena, Foundation Plaza, Airport Terminal, Wastewater Admin Building, and a new City Hall under construction are big ticket items we were able to cross off the community’s list. I’m very proud of those things, and the work that went into making them happen, but I am prouder of the internal, behind-the-scenes changes we have made, that allow us to provide better service to the public. We have updated the employee handbook, adopted a city-wide procurement policy, invested significant resources in employee training and development, adopted a strategic plan, adopted a Parks Master Plan, updated employee job descriptions and organizational structure and invested millions of dollars in additional street and park improvements. While this list is not comprehensive, and all have equal importance, to me, one of the most impactful things we have done is transform how we put together the annual operating budget. I am supremely proud of the work that went into right sizing the budget to set this City up for future financial success. It took many hours, many drafts, and many difficult conversations to bring that budget forward, and I can truly say we did it as a team. We’ve run a marathon at a sprinter’s pace, but boy has it been fun!
I have said since I started that this is one of the best teams I’ve ever had the privilege to work with, and that still holds true. I’m not sure the community recognizes the sheer amount of talent that exists within the City staff. They are brilliant. They are dedicated. They are true public servants who show up every day to try and make this community just a little bit better than when they found it. It has truly been an honor to lead them for the last 3.5 years. I will miss their tenacity, their ingenuity, the laughs and the comradery.
The Council will need to formally accept this resignation at the December 2 meeting. Between now and the 2nd, I will work with Mayor Holien and City Attorney Carrico to bring a transition plan forward to the council after review of the City Charter and applicable state statutes. There is still much to wrap up before January 6, and I look forward to the next few weeks of work as we close out this year and enter the next on solid ground.
While I won’t be working in Watertown anymore, it, and all of you, will have a very special place in my heart, and I will always be cheering you on from the sidelines.
Thank you for the opportunity you afforded me three and a half years ago, and for your support and friendship.
In Service,
Amanda Mack, EMPA, ICMA-CM
City Manager
