The City of Bothell will be saying goodbye to a deputy city manager on May 12 as Peter Troedsson departs for a job as city manager in Albany, Ore.

Troedsson said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity Albany presented him.

“It’s not so much Oregon, per se, it’s the chance to serve as a city manager,” he said. “Albany is a wonderful little town.”

City manager positions don’t open often, so Troedsson said he took the plunge and applied. Staying in the Pacific Northwest was also important.

Albany is located along Interstate 5, around 25 miles south of Salem, Ore., and has a population slightly smaller than that of Bothell and Kenmore combined.

Troedsson served as Bothell’s deputy city manager for more than three years, and in that time, he has been influential in a number of large projects.

Some of his proudest accomplishments include working on starting the Bothell Beer Festival, implementing a parks and recreation department and working on the Wayne Golf Course acquisition, as well as helping guide the city through a fire last summer which caused significant damage to the city’s downtown.

He was also involved in the ongoing downtown revitalization projects, which have seen widespread infrastructure and street improvements, as well as the McMenamins Anderson School opening in 2015 in the city’s downtown.

Troedsson said he took the same mentality he developed serving as a Coast Guard helicopter pilot for 30 years to his work for the city. When he was on active duty and people would thank him for his service, he would thank them for his paycheck.

This sense of accountability to the public is something he intends to keep with him in the future.

City Parks and Recreation Director John Keates said when he was hired on, he reported directly to Troedsson.

“I thought that was really helpful to have somebody like him,” Keates said. “…He’s right up in the top shelf of people I’ve worked with, he’s top notch.”

Keates said he hates to see Troedsson go, but wished him well in his new position.

“I know he’ll be very successful, that’s just the kind of guy he is,” Keates said.

As for the city, Troedsson said he has confidence that the staff will continue to steer Bothell in a positive direction.

The current city manager, Jennifer Phillips, will be a good fit for the city, he said.

“This team of people that are here are a really, really solid group of first-rate professionals,” he said.

Though he will be living and working hours away, Troessdon said Bothell will stick with him.

“I will remember that time fondly, and I’ll keep my eye on how Bothell is doing from far away,” he said.

Erin Leonhart has been named the interim Deputy City Manager.