City of Watertown releases statement on parting of ways with Amanda Mack

November 27, 2024

Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–This week, the Watertown City Council met, and voted to move on immediately from outgoing City Manager Amanda Mack.

KWAT News was first to report last week that Mack had agreed to a five year contract to become the city administrator in Harrisburg. At the time, she said her last day of employment in Watertown would be January 6th, but that changed to an immediate parting of the ways with the city after the council met in executive session at the Watertown Police Department Community Room to discuss the issue.

Today, the city released a statement that reads:

“On November 25th, the City Council met to address the transition following City Manager Amanda Mack’s resignation. Mack announced her resignation on November 12th, and Council accepted her resignation effective on November 25th. City Council and staff thank her for her 3 1/2 years of service and wish her success in Harrisburg.

To ensure stability during this transition, the Council appointed Chief Financial Officer Kristen Bobzien as Interim City Manager. With 13 years of experience and demonstrated leadership during past periods of change, Kristen is well-equipped to ensure operations continue seamlessly. The Council considered many people to fill the role, including Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Heath VonEye.

Heath respectfully declined to be considered for the position. We are fortunate to have someone as qualified as Kristen to step into this role, and we are confident she will pave the way for a smooth transition to our next City Manager.

The Council also began the process of hiring Watertown’s next City Manager. A community panel has been formed to review the position and recommend a recruitment firm as soon as possible. This will expedite the process, ensuring Watertown gets the best candidate possible to fill the role of City Manager.

The Council used executive session to discuss the transition as it related to the selection of an Interim City Manager and timing of the resigning City Manager’s departure. Executive session exists to protect and respect both the employee and the city by ensuring confidentiality and professionalism and is provided for under these circumstances pursuant to South Dakota law. It is a standard practice for personnel discussions across governmental entities—schools, counties, state agencies, and even organizations like church councils and charity boards.”