Fred Diaz, 60, will end his 14-year run as city manager of Fremont later this year. Diaz has announced his upcoming retirement in September. His final farewell will conclude 35 years of service in the public sector.
“City management is wonderful, it’s rewarding, but it’s also in some respects a younger person’s sport,” said Diaz. “Thirty-five years of it can have a cumulative impact if you stay too long … so that had something to do with it. But it feels good.”
Diaz will be well taken care of after retirement. Because of his age and experience, he'll receive 75 percent of his $304,447 annual salary, the Easty Bay Times reports.
Diaz first entered public administration with the hope of “making the world a better place.” That's a goal he thinks he's accomplished in Fremont. Over the course of his career, Diaz worked for the cities of both Indio and Tracy, but the chance to manage Fremont was “the big time in my profession,” he said.
With six months left to go, Diaz hopes to help lay the groundwork for the transition to district-based elections. Those will dramatically alter the dynamics of the city council, he said, but that did not factor into his decision to retire.
Diaz is also hoping to make some progress on homelessness before he goes.