Rolla City Administrator Announces Retirement Plans
Rolla City Administrator John Butz announced to the City Council his intentions to retire on November 8, 2025, in a closed session meeting on January 6th. The City will begin a formal search for the next city administrator in the next two months following the selection of an executive search firm.
Butz began working for the City of Rolla in April 1997 and will be the longest serving City Administrator following in the footsteps of former administrators and mentors Merle Strouse and Leonard Martin.
“It has been the greatest honor to serve the Rolla Community for the last 28 years”, Butz said. “I have had the distinct pleasure working with great mayors including Joe Morgan, Bill Jenks and Lou Magdits and scores of engaged City Council members. This work could not be done well without the dedication of great department directors and many hard-working City employees.”
Butz began his career in public service graduating from the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration, initially doing an internship with the City of Maryland Heights and then working as a Budget Analyst for the US Dept. of HUD. In 1988 Butz began his career in local government with the City of Sullivan before relocating to Rolla to accept the position of City Administrator under former Mayor Elwyn Wax in 1997.
Much has happened in the Rolla Community over the last 28 years including the large Southside Annexation in 1999, construction of The Centre and SplashZone, managing through the Great Recession of 2007/08 and Covid, Prop P for Parks, development of the consolidated Public Works Yard, the Move Rolla TDD and numerous transportation projects, and a number of significant economic development efforts including the Forum Plaza CID, Westside Market Place, retention of USGS and Hartmann US. According to Butz, vital to success is the ongoing collaboration with key Rolla institutions including Missouri S&T, RREC, Phelps Health and Phelps County, the Chamber of Commerce, Rolla Public Schools, MRPC, and Ft. Leonard Wood.
Butz and his wife Trisha raised their five children in Rolla and plan to stay in the Rolla Community. “Rolla has been a wonderful place to call home!”, Butz exclaimed. In retirement Butz is looking forward to spending more time with his 7 grandkids, volunteer opportunities, and a few more years of softball, volleyball and tennis, (picking up pickleball and golf), fishing, gardening, and music with Trilogy!
