Springerville Council Reverses Course, Extends Interim Manager Ted Soltis' Contract

The Springerville Town Council voted at its Feb. 18 regular meeting to extend Interim Town Manager Ted Soltis' contract, a decision that drew local attention across Apache County because it reversed earlier indications council members might move to recruit or appoint a different manager. The extension keeps Soltis in the town's top administrative role after a period of uncertainty over leadership direction.

Council members made the decision during the regular meeting on Feb. 18; the action itself was presented as a change in course from discussions that had suggested a search for a permanent replacement. By choosing to extend Soltis' tenure, the council paused any immediate recruitment efforts and preserved the interim management arrangement that has overseen Springerville operations up to this point.

The move has direct implications for continuity in municipal administration in Springerville. Ted Soltis will remain responsible for day to day management functions under the extended contract, which affects how the town executes budgets, manages municipal staff, and advances ongoing projects that require stable executive oversight. The council’s reversal delays a transition to a permanent town manager and keeps short term administrative authority with an interim appointee.

Local attention to the vote reflected broader questions about the council’s process and priorities. Earlier indications that council members might recruit or appoint a different manager set expectations among residents and business stakeholders for a potential change in leadership. The Feb. 18 vote altered that trajectory and places the responsibility back on the council to explain its timeline and criteria for either continuing Soltis’ tenure or restarting a recruitment process.

Looking ahead, the council’s decision on Feb. 18 establishes a period in which Soltis will continue as interim manager while the governing body determines its next steps. Whether the council resumes recruitment for a permanent town manager or moves toward an appointment will be among the central governance questions facing Springerville officials and the Apache County community in the coming weeks.