Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes will retire at the end of January, despite a last-minute vote by city council last week to keep him in his role. Wilkes shared the news over the weekend in an email to city officials obtained by the Post, saying he will retire on schedule because the city council was divided over whether to extend his contract. The reversal comes just days after a contentious closed-door special meeting on Friday, during which the Olathe City Council voted 4-3 to delay his retirement and halt the nearly complete search for his replacement. Wilkes announced his retirement in July after almost 27 years with the city. In a letter to the city, he noted his retirement will be effective in the first quarter of 2026 “as is appropriate with the hiring of a new City Manager.”
Read more: Johnson County Post
