A former top administrator has been hired in Spruce Grove four years after being fired by the City of Edmonton.
Simon Farbrother joined the City of Edmonton in 2010. He was suddenly relieved of his duties in September 2015 after an 11 to 1 vote by city council.
The move came as several major infrastructure projects, including the Metro Line LRT, were struggling.
“This is about setting our administration on a new path to manage the next chapter in this city’s growth,” Mayor Don Iveson said at the time.
READ MORE: Edmonton council removes Simon Farbrother as city manager
Watch below: (From September 2015) Mayor Don Iveson announced Thursday afternoon that council had decided to relieve city manager Simon Farbrother of his duties.
In a statement posted on its website, the City of Spruce Grove announced Farbrother had been named city manager during a June 24 council meeting. It said he will officially start on July 8.
Farbrother had previously held the same role in Spruce Grove from 1997 to 2004.
“I am thrilled to be coming back to Spruce Grove in a leadership capacity,” Farbrother said in a statement. “It’s amazing to see how the city has nearly doubled in size since I was last here and is still growing strong.
“It’s an exciting time for Spruce Grove, and I feel very fortunate to be part of it.”
The administrator had been part of the team negotiating the Ice District development in Edmonton.
He received roughly $800,000 in severance pay from the City of Edmonton.