City Manager Josh Copley
FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff City Council has announced that City Manager Josh Copley will continue as the Flagstaff City Manager for another year. The City Manager is the Chief Executive of the City of Flagstaff and reports directly to the Flagstaff City Council. He is responsible for implementing the City Council’s goals and ensuring the delivery of all city services and the smooth day-to-day functioning of the City.
In responding to the announcement, Mr. Copley said, “I am honored to be able to continue to serve in this important leadership position for another year. After 32 years with the City of Flagstaff, I’ve come to appreciate that the position of City Manager is not just a job but also a calling that requires tremendous dedication, commitment and a passion for our community. Speaking about the year ahead he said, “As Flagstaff continues to grow we must not lose sight of Flagstaff’s charm and character, which make it such a great place to live and work. In the coming year the City will continue to tackle big community challenges with ambitious solutions that are innovative yet reflect our local values and sensibilities.”
Having worked with Mr. Copley for many years, Mayor Coral Evans said, “Josh Copley is a very dedicated public servant and brings tremendous institutional knowledge, experience, leadership skills and a can-do attitude. We are lucky to have a City Manager of his caliber and I’m looking forward to working with him to further the City’s mission and goals.”
Vice-Mayor Jamie Whelan stated, “I’m pleased that Josh will be continuing in the City Manager position. His knowledge and understanding of the city has made for a seamless transition to the new Council. The city is in good hands.”
Mr. Copley will continue to oversee several high profile city projects, including the implementation of the Proposition 406, the 2014 voter approved Road Repair and Street Safety Initiative. To date the City has spent almost $14 million to repave, chip seal, or overlay approximately 225 city lane miles. This spring the City will begin to reconstruct some roads that that are in terrible condition including Lockett Road, Zuni and Walapai Drives, and Beaver Street in downtown.
The City will also begin construction of its new Core Services Maintenance Facility on city owned property on West Highway 66 and with Coconino County as a partner will begin the planning and design of the voter approved new courthouse on the old jail site at the downtown corner of Birch Ave. and Agassiz St. In the coming months, Mr. Copley will continue to work with the City Council on solutions for traffic congestion on Milton Road and Highway 180.
In his three decades with the City of Flagstaff, Mr. Copley served 26 years with the Flagstaff Police Department where he worked his way up from Patrol Officer to Deputy Police Chief. After retiring from the police department, he became a Deputy City Manager, serving in that capacity for more than three years prior to becoming City Manager in 2015. Mr. Copley holds a Master of Science Degree in Management with an emphasis in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.