The Casper City Council will consider the accelerated retirement of City Manager V.H. McDonald effective Monday at its meeting at 6 p.m. today, according to an updated agenda posted this morning.

"This is to confirm that I am receptive, and agree to accelerating, subject to Council's approval, my retirement date to today, April 17, 2017 as set forth in your letter to me dated April 17, 2017," McDonald wrote to Mayor Kenyne Humphrey.

McDonald announced two weeks ago he would be retiring effective June 1.

But council wanted to move faster, according to a letter from Humphrey and Council Vice President Ray Pacheco to McDonald, also dated Monday.

"As Council Leadership, we support this accelerated retirement date, and we will present this to Council for its consideration, and hopefully, bring forward a minute action item for approval of this action.

"Thank you for being receptive to accelerating your retirement date, which will allow Council to move forward to fill your position as City manager, and to expeditiously appoint an interim city manager until your position can be filled," Humphrey and Pacheco wrote.

The date to move up McDonald's retirement apparently was a topic at council's executive session Monday to consider personnel matters. Humphrey said afterwards that while the proceedings were private, the proposed actions would be on the agenda to be updated today.

In the April 6 announcement about McDonald's retirement, council leadership also appointed Assistant City Manager Liz Becher to serve as interim city manager during the search for a new city management. That, too, is on the updated agenda.

Last week, Councilmember Shawn Johnson castigated the appointment in a letter: "Then a couple of council members (I'm not sure who) decided to appoint Liz Becher as interim city manager without going to council first. The city manager is the preview of the ENTIRE council, not one or two."

The accelerated retirement date and Becher's appointment mark the latest developments in two weeks of turmoil in city government starting with the release of a Fraternal Order of Police survey of officers who criticized Police Chief Jim Wetzel, the resignation of Councilmember Todd Murphy, V.H. McDonald announced retirement, Becher's appointment, Johnson's letter, and the FOP's membership vote of "no confidence" in Wetzel on Monday.

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