Bethel is on the hunt for a city manager again. Vincenzo “Vinny” Corazza, who took over the job last April, submitted his resignation on Aug. 18. The decision does not come as a surprise to some Bethel City Council members.
Corazza started his job as Bethel City Manager this April, right when the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to impact the community and the region.
“Day one, I got the call that we had the first case of coronavirus in the Y-K Delta,” Corazza said. “The next day we activated the [Emergency Operations Center] to level three, and we started getting to work, trying to do what the city can.”
During his tenure, Corazza started several programs to respond to the pandemic. One incentivized passengers arriving at the Bethel airport to get tested. Another quarantined travelers between Anchorage and the villages. He also started a cab voucher program so that Elders could take private taxi rides.
“I think creatively, we've tried. We've adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic, and still sort of try to resume our way of life,” Corazza said.
Besides managing the city’s COVID-19 response, Corazza oversaw turmoil at the finance department. A month after he joined, the finance director quit, citing a “chaotic and unprofessional environment.” Afterwards, Bethel City Council members criticized his decision to appoint the city’s grant manager to do the job on an acting basis without advertising for the position first.
The city council’s concerns increased as its meetings went on. At the last meeting, the council performed a public evaluation of Corazza, at his request, grilling him on his use of a city vehicle and how he is using Microsoft Excel to manage $8.4 million in CARES Act funds. Council member Mark Springer said that it was not surprising to him that Corazza resigned after that meeting.
“We spoke pretty frankly during our last meeting, and I can understand why somebody might feel that their bosses have less than 100% confidence in the job that was being done,” Springer said.
Corazza declined to comment on why he submitted his resignation. He said that he believes that he did a good job as a city manager in a time of pandemic, and he also has faith that the city will run fine without him.
“You know, this city runs very well with each department head,” Corazza said. “And I've put a lot of trust in them. They've been here a lot longer than I have, and so the city's in good hands.”
Corazza’s last day will be Oct. 9. Council member Springer said that the city would likely appoint an interim city manager, and hire an executive search firm to find Corazza’s long-term replacement.
