Gaa

Marshalltown’s newly hired city administrator has resigned from his position after less than five months on the job, according to a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Joe Gaa, who started on Sept. 11, 2023, said that while he has served in the same capacity in four other communities, he did not feel that he could have the same level of success here.

“Quite simply, we are not a good fit for each other,” he said.

The city council will meet in special session on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5:30 p.m. at city hall to formally accept Gaa’s voluntary resignation and discuss the next steps in the search for a new full-time city administrator.

Mayor Joel Greer, who will now step into the role of interim city administrator, thanked Gaa for his service to Marshalltown.

“I certainly appreciate the time that we had with Joe Gaa and the experience that he had at the position, but I also understand that he has to make decisions that work the best for his professional life and I expect that our city council will make the right decisions to find the right person to fill this spot again,” Greer said.

The council will now begin its second search for a new city administrator in less than a year after the resignation of Gaa’s predecessor, Jessica Kinser, last May.

“The City Council is committed to finding the right candidate to keep our community moving forward,” the press release concludes.

Because Gaa’s employment with the city concluded before the end of his six-month probationary period, he will not receive a severance package. None of the city councilors nor city department heads other than Greer could be reached for immediate comment, and Gaa declined to comment at the present time.