KC area city manager to leave office after accepting job in Minnesota
Independence City Manager Zach Walker is headed out of Harry Truman’s hometown.
The city announced Tuesday that Walker has accepted a job as city manager in Bloomington, Minnesota. Walker, who has been city manager of Independence since 2016, will leave the city and relocate to Minnesota this fall.
Walker’s last day in Independence will be October 12.
Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has about 91,500 residents and a high population of commuters, according to the city. In a Tuesday news release, mayor Tim Busse wrote that Independence shares a lot of similarities with Bloomington, which made Walker an appealing choice for the city.
“Zach brings an impressive resume and a lot of accomplishments to the table,” Busse said. “I’m excited for the community to get to know him.”
Walker began his career in Independence in 2012 as a management analyst and became assistant city manager in 2015 before stepping into his current role. During his 9 years as city manager, the city passed its first set of general obligation bonds and established a visitor’s bureau.
Independence mayor Rory Rowland praised Walker while sharing news of his upcoming exit Tuesday, saying that Walker “led with focus and heart.”
“His work laid a strong foundation and a city poised for the future,” Rowland said.
Walker, however, has also been involved in controversy centered on his involvement with the Independence Police Department. In 2022, a whistleblower tip led to an investigation of a $400,000 construction project that officers completed internally without a contract, including an officer who racked up more than 2,800 hours of overtime on the work.
During a 5-month investigation, Walker denied that he knew officers had completed the work themselves, paying themselves without going through the city’s bidding process for construction projects. However, former police chief Bryan Halsey alleged that Walker was aware of the situation throughout the duration of the construction project.
Walker’s departure could potentially inspire a national search process for a new Independence city manager. City officials are expected to share more about next steps following a closed session of Independence City Council Tuesday night.
