Update: Town Manager Waltz confirms resignation, move back into energy field

Joe Waltz at work as Town Energy Services Director in 2016 – Royal Examiner File Photos/Roger Bianchini

Front Royal Town Manager Joe Waltz confirmed Tuesday morning that he turned in notice of his resignation to Interim Mayor Matt Tederick and Town Council last Wednesday, October 9. Waltz’s last day on the job here will be Friday, November 8.

Waltz cited an opportunity to return to the energy sector as a primary factor in his decision.

“Over the summer I thought about it and decided that is really where my passion lies. And an opportunity was put on the table that I couldn’t refuse,” Waltz told Royal Examiner.

That opportunity is with an energy cooperative in Ohio, which Waltz compared to the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative in this area.

Waltz began working with the Town in 2005. He rose to the position of Town Manager from Director of Energy Services for the Town. He was previously Director of Public Works for Front Royal.

“I always wanted to be Town Manager and got the opportunity and am grateful for that,” Waltz said of the perhaps most politicized top municipal administrative job on the Town side.

Then serving as Director of Energy Services Waltz was appointed interim town manager in the wake of Steve Burke’s resignation. He had the “interim” officially removed from his title on a unanimous vote by council on June 12, 2017.

Waltz had the ‘Interim’ removed from his final department head title here on June 12, 2017.

According to the Town website Waltz was hired into the Town system in December of 2005. After directing public works from 2006-08, he moved into the energy services department.

During his tenure as the Town’s Energy Director Waltz was instrumental in moving the Town into the American Municipal Power (AMP-Ohio) energy cooperative. That move helped Front
Royal achieve one of the lowest municipal energy rates in Virginia for a number of years, including a run where it was ranked as the lowest public sector energy provider or within the top three lowest for a number of years running.

While market conditions have taken the town out of that stellar ranking, at last check Front Royal’s municipal electric rate was still ranked 12th lowest in the state.

Contacted late Tuesday morning, Tederick said he had been surprised upon receipt of Waltz’s notice he would be leaving the Town. He said a recent annual job performance review by council had been positive and a raise recommended.

Tederick said he called Waltz almost immediately upon receipt of his emailed notice, asking, “Please tell me it’s not something I said. He kind of laughed and said no, it was his desire to get back into the energy sector and an opportunity had come up.