Albemarle's leader will retire Dec. 31

Albemarle County Executive Robert W. Tucker Jr. is retiring at the end of the year.

The county’s top leader made the announcement Thursday. 

Tucker, 62, has served the county for nearly 37 years, including the past 20 years as its executive.

Much of the groundwork for creating a fiscal 2012 budget is expected to be laid by the end of the year, though precisely how much money the county will receive from the state and federal government probably won’t be known until sometime close to when the county’s budget is set to be adopted in April.

Republican Supervisor Kenneth C. Boyd said it’s premature to speculate on who might fill Tucker’s shoes or what kind of characteristics supervisors will be looking for because the board hasn’t discussed the matter yet.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the job he’s done for the county,” Boyd said of Tucker. “I think one of the biggest things, if you look at his resume, having been here for 36 years, is his historical perspective of the county.”

Tucker, who estimates that he’s attended more than 1,700 public government meetings in Albemarle, said he plans to spend retirement traveling with his wife and spending more time with his children and grandchildren.

Tucker lists the county’s splitting of territory into “rural” and “development areas” as one of Albemarle’s greatest accomplishments during his years of service. Urban development is condensed into about 5 percent of the county’s territory, with the rest largely undeveloped.

The aim has been to “keep those mountains and rolling hills and pastures open — as much as we can — and [keep] the cows and horses, crops, orchards and vineyards there in the rural areas,” Tucker said, adding that preservation of the county’s rural areas is one of the major things attracting people to the county.

Tucker helped to establish the county’s growth areas while overseeing the county’s 1980 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. He later became a deputy county executive, before being hired as the chief county executive.

Maintaining a AAA bond rating has also been vital to the county’s success, Tucker said. Albemarle received a AAA bond rating from Moody’s Investor Service in 2003, becoming the smallest county in the country to receive the top bond rating. Last week, Albemarle was also assessed with a AAA bond rating by Standard & Poor’s, placing Albemarle among fewer than 90 counties in the United States to receive a AAA rating from both agencies, according to county officials.

“A triple-A bond rating for a locality is like the film industry’s Academy Award,” Tucker said of the rating, which is based in part on localities’ financial management. “You’re going to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars, over time, because of the lowest interest rate that you’re going to be able to acquire.”

Tucker said he was also proud the county was able to purchase a former Wachovia building on Fifth Street Extended for what is now a county office building that houses police, social services and other departments. The deal saved the county at least several million dollars compared with other alternatives for expanding office space.

Albemarle spokeswoman Lee Catlin, who has worked with Tucker for 16 years, agreed to be interviewed — from the perspective of a colleague, not as the voice of the county — about her dealings with Tucker.

Catlin said Tucker is the “embodiment of integrity” and leads with a team mentality.

“He does not set that kind of strict hierarchy. … It’s very much a team, mutually supportive environment,” Catlin said. “I think the phrase that I’ve heard him say almost more frequently than anything else is: ‘Let’s fix the problem, not the blame.’

“So, when you work for him, you know you’re going to be held accountable, but you also know that effort is going to be focused on improving things, learning from mistakes, making things better.”

Tucker, who Catlin notes keeps tabs on employees’ favorite sports teams and maintains a light mood among staff members, offers a “welcoming presence” for constituents who visit county offices.

“I think a lot of people have had the experience where they ... walk into the building and they’re not exactly sure where to go,” Catlin said. “They’re looking at the signs, and it is very frequent that Bob will stop and ask people, you know, ‘Do you need help? What can I do?’ He sets the example for customer service.”

Catlin also noted how determined Tucker has been to avoid layoffs in the general government division.

Tucker’s office began preparing for the economic downturn about a year sooner than many other localities. The county has eliminated more than 70 government positions through attrition, shifted employees and consolidated duties.

Rod Gentry, chairman of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, called Tucker “a true gentleman” in a Thursday statement, adding that he’s served “with integrity, dedication and an outstanding personal commitment to our community.”

Independent Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said in a statement that Tucker has encouraged “organization excellence and efficiency.”

Tucker’s resignation comes just months after Gary O’Connell, who was Charlottesville’s city manager, resigned his post to take the director’s job at the Albemarle County Service Authority. A search for his replacement is under way.

Career highlights

Highlights of Robert W. Tucker’s career with Albemarle County include:

l Expanding the county’s parks and recreation facilities, including Darden Towe Park, Walnut Creek Park and Preddy Creek.

l Contributing to the future vision of the county by managing all Comprehensive Plan updates with exception of the first one in 1971.

l As planning director, overseeing the 1980 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance that laid the groundwork for many of the county’s land-use planning initiatives.

l Leading the organization to make strides in green government, including Energy Star designation for the County Office Building and being named a Green Government by the Virginia Municipal League.

l Partnering with the county school division to bring new school facilities to the community, including Meriwether, Cale, Crozet, Agnor-Hurt and Baker-Butler elementaries, Sutherland Middle School and Monticello High School.

l Managing the purchase of the County Office Building Fifth Street building, saving the county over $7 million in future anticipated building expansion.

l Providing leadership for community facilities and transportation infrastructure projects, including the Monticello and Hollymead fire stations, expansion of the regional airport and jail, Crozet Park Pool, Berkmar Drive extension and the Mill Creek Road connector.

SOURCE: Albemarle County