By Leann Schenke

DOVER — City Manager Randy E. Robertson has tendered his resignation after a little more than five months on the job.

Mr. Robertson’s last day is Friday, having resigned Wednesday morning. He was hired in December 2020.

Mayor Robin Christiansen praised Mr. Robertson for his commitment to the position of city manager and to the city itself.

“He showed a lot of innovation and certainly had a lot of energy,” Mayor Christiansen said. “I wish him well, and I’m sorry he had to go, but he, like myself, is a family person.”

Mayor Christiansen said Mr. Robertson is leaving Dover for Cincinnati to care for his mother.

Utilizing a new method of finding a replacement city manager, the city held a national search conducted by an independent consulting firm, The Mercer Group, to hire Mr. Robertson.

Mayor Christiansen said he is not sure if an outside firm will be used when the city searches for Mr. Robertson’s replacement. Meantime, Assistant City Manager Matt Harline will likely serve as the temporary city manager, as he did prior to Mr. Robertson’s hiring, the mayor said.

“I would hope that we would put our own committee together this time to do the search,” Mayor Christiansen said. “We’ve done that before very successfully without any extra expense. I would hope that we would be going in that direction.”

Mayor Christiansen said he is unsure if Mr. Harline will receive the same 5% pay increase he did the last time he filled in as city manager.

Mr. Robertson’s résumé includes experience as a city manager in Ashland, Kentucky; Mount Juliet, Tennessee; Vestavia Hills, Alabama; and Cordova, Alaska. Prior to Dover, he most recently had been city manager in Aberdeen, Maryland, since 2016. He also is a retired U.S. Army officer and had served as a senior federal employee.

Mr. Robertson replaced Donna Mitchell, who retired in October of last year.