Chuck Huckelberry, the civil engineer from Flowing Wells who has left his mark on nearly every Pima County project for the past 19 years, resigned yesterday.
Huckelberry, 43, designed and implemented diverse proposals ranging from roads and bridges to nationally recognized open space and environmental protection programs.
"For God's sake," said Reg Morrison, Republican chairman of the Board of Supervisors from 1990 through 1992. "They are going to miss him, and they don't even know it."
Wanda Shattuck, the veteran neighborhood activist, said Huckelberry "was the most talented and skilled public servant in the Southwest. What a loss for all of us."
Huckelberry grew up with Pima County. He joined the old Highway Department at age 24 and became the youngest department head in county history five years later when he was promoted to director of Transportation and Flood Control.
But Huckelberry was at work long before that as an undergraduate, then as a graduate student in mining and civil engineering at the University of Arizona. He worked while going to school and gave up a lucrative position with Shell Oil in California to return to Tucson and enter public service.
"I think he was born in the county building," former Republican Supervisor Greg Lunn said.
The departure, Lunn said, "really symbolizes what is happening at the county."
Promoted to assistant county manager in charge of public works in 1987, Huckelberry was demoted in January by new County Administrator Manoj Vyas when Vyas issued his sweeping reorganization.
Huckelberry was spared initially as Vyas fired six executives. But Vyas, who once worked for Huckelberry at transportation, demoted Huckelberry to director of capital planning. Vyas also cut Huckelberry's pay from $101,000 a year to $85,000.
Vyas first let Huckelberry remain in charge of selection of a new regional landfill, the biggest county and city project of record.
Vyas and the Republican majority of the Board of Supervisors then undercut Huckelberry by moving forward with options for property before the full board or the City Council could vote on the issues.
Republican Supervisor Mike Boyd told City Councilman Bruce Wheeler on Tuesday that Huckelberry would be leaving soon.
Wheeler, a Democrat, said Boyd told him that Huckelberry and ousted Deputy County Manager Bruce Postil were running the show under former county Manager Enrique Serna and "had to go."
Boyd said he told Wheeler that Huckelberry was likely to resign and that he "felt Huckelberry and Postil were running the show." But Boyd denied saying the two "had to go."
Huckelberry left for a vacation on Thursday and was unavailable for comment. His letter of resignation was given to Vyas yesterday and is effective, discounting accrued vacation time, April 24.
"I have very much enjoyed the last 19 years working with past and present Boards of Supervisors, manager and staff of Pima County," Huckelberry said in his letter. "I firmly believe that Pima County has one of the most competent, dedicated and loyal governmental staffs in Arizona."
Lunn, Morrison and others, including some who had been at odds with Huckelberry, credited him with guiding the county through a major period of modernization of all infrastructure.
Dave Dolgen, head of Forest City Southwest, developer of Tucson Mall, serves on numerous county committees and said Huckelberry balanced "the needs of the community."
Dolgen said Huckelberry was "vigilant in protecting the environment and character of Tucson," while also promoting the interests of business.
