Just a week after certain City Council members took city attorney Tom Perkins and his staff to task for contracts relating to the 2008 gas drilling agreement between Mary Suhm and Trinity East Energy, Perkins announced today he would retire in August. All that drilling nonsense, apparently, had nothing to do with his decision. Take it away, Rudy:
“It’s been 14 years (with the city attorneys office), and it’s time to move on,” he said.
At 59, Perkins has served in the city attorneys office since 1999 and has overseen major cases on behalf of City Hall, from the shutdown of a polluting meatpacking plant to an ongoing suit by waste haulers to fallout from the dismissal of municipal judges. He was also instrumental in the Wright Amendment Reform Act.
In recent years, Perkins shepherded the office through deep budget cuts that saw attorneys let go and programs cut. Mayor Mike Rawlings issued a brief statement about Perkins’ leaving that shed little light on the decision.
“Tom Perkins’ years dedicated to the city is to be applauded. He recruited and retained a group of first-rate attorneys and his leadership in doing so is much admired. I wish him the best on his future endeavors,” the statement said.
In a statement to council, Perkins said he believes he left “a well-qualified, highly motivated, and widely respected staff that will continue to zealously represent the interests of the Dallas City Council, the City of Dallas, and the citizens of our great city.”