City Manager Justin Clifton has been with the city of Palm Springs for a little over a year, but as of Monday morning, Clifton is resigning.

In his email to City Staff, he said in part, “I feel good about the work we have done together the last 15 months…I also feel good that there is a very strong administrative team in place to continue to steer the organization forward. I will work hard in the coming weeks to prepare for a seamless transition.”

Before Palm Springs, Clifton was the city manager of Sedona, Arizona.

Although he worked for Palm Springs for a short period, Clifton helped move the city forward during hard times, especially with issues surrounding homelessness.

“He is an extremely talented and thoughtful leader,” Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton shared. “He served through some really demanding times as we’ve all been responding to COVID. Justin did a great job. We have done an outstanding piece of work with getting the Navigation Center going and responding to what’s been some really difficult issues related to homelessness. “

On top of that, Clifton helped find numerous leaders, including the city’s new Police Chief Andrew Mills.

Now that Clifton’s position will soon open, the city council is looking for a talented replacement.

“I don’t know any other city where so many people have such incredible skill levels and experience and are willing to put themselves out there,” Mayor Middleton continued. “So we’re looking for a leader who can take advantage of that energy, who fits into our community and can nurture and build the teams that are in Palm Springs. The person stepping in is going to need to be not only someone who’s an incredible communicator, but someone who is exceptionally strong in the field of Municipal Finance.”

While this decision was difficult, Clifton says it was the right choice for him and his family.

“The last thing I want to say is to once again thank Justin Clifton and to thank his family and to wish all of them the very very best as they move forward,” Mayor Middleton said.

Palm Springs Mayor Responds to City Manager Resignation