From the City of Sugar Land:
Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard plans to retire on Jan. 31, 2020.
His 44 years of public service includes 25 in Sugar Land with 19 as its city manager.
“I’d like to thank our current and former members of City Council for the opportunity to work in a special place like Sugar Land,” said Bogard. “When I accepted the honor of serving as Sugar Land city manager in October 2001, I made a commitment to myself to leave the city in as good or better condition than I received it from my predecessor, David Neeley. I believe that I will achieve this commitment upon my departure from the city as evidenced by the city’s high level of service and financial strength, confirmed by our AAA bond rating.
“We have achieved a lot during the last two decades, but the credit should go to our effective, ethical elected leaders and our champion employees. I’m confident that the talent within our family of dedicated employees will continue to exceed the high expectations we set for ourselves.”
During the last two decades, Sugar Land has become known as a city dedicated to doing things differently — a cut above — through a commitment to bold and thoughtful thinking. The city has more than doubled in population under Bogard’s leadership and seen the development of Sugar Land Town Square, First Colony Mall, Constellation Field, the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, the University of Houston at Sugar Land and the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land.
In addition, Bogard has provided leadership for numerous annexations, including First Colony, Avalon, RiverPark, Greatwood and New Territory.
“Allen has done an outstanding job in building an exceptional team, and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Mayor Joe R. Zimmerman. “Our city is safer than ever before, our economy is strong and we continue to offer the high level of services our citizens expect while maintaining one of the state’s lowest tax rates. While it will be impossible to replace Allen’s leadership, we have worked hard during the past several years to focus on developing future leaders within our organization. A number of high-profile promotions during the recent past are proof that Allen’s efforts have left us in good hands.”
The Sugar Land City Charter identifies the city manager as the chief executive officer. The manager is hired to serve City Council and the community and provides the professional expertise necessary to administer local government projects and programs.
The manager prepares a budget for City Council’s consideration; recruits, hires and supervises city staff; serves as City Council’s chief adviser; enforces laws and ordinances; manages day-to-day affairs; and implements policy decisions.
Bogard’s retirement announcement was made during City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday. The notification meets contractual requirements and provides the necessary time to conduct a nationwide search for Sugar Land’s next city manager.
