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Bridge City’s leadership is undergoing a personnel change following the resignation of City Manager Christopher Baker.

Baker’s resignation was discussed and accepted by the Bridge City City Council at its Aug. 20 meeting.

“We appreciated the work and the direction that Mr. Baker was headed with the city,” Bridge City Mayor David Rutledge said. “We’re sorry that he left.”

On the Aug. 20 meeting agenda, Item 10b for Closed Executive Session reads, “Section 551.074. Personnel Matters – deliberate the employment, evaluation, separation, supervision, discipline, and duties of the City Manager.”

After reconvening to open session, the Council accepted Baker’s resignation. The Council also appointed Rutledge acting City Manager while the city begins its search for someone to take over the role.

“I’ll sit this chair until we get the search process going and find somebody,” Rutledge said. ”’It’s kind of time consuming, but we’ll go through that process and find us a viable candidate.”

Baker was appointed City Manager in early January 2024.  Since he resigned, the city will not have to pay out the remainder of his contract.

The city could not comment on why he resigned since the matter is related to personnel.

Now, Bridge City will search for its third City Manager in as many years.

Before Baker’s hiring on Jan. 2 via unanimous approval, the city went nearly a year without anyone in the role following the Feb. 2023 resignation of Brent Walker, who was City Manager for just over a year.