Palm Springs City Manager Justin Clifton Resigns

City manager Justin Clifton’s last day will be Sept. 16

PALM SPRINGS — City Manager Justin Clifton announced today he will be resigning from the city of Palm Springs. His last day will be Sept. 16.

Clifton announced his resignation to staff this morning. He began duties in April 2021.

Before coming to Palm Springs, Clifton had been city manager of Sedona, Ariz., for the past six years,

Clifton told city staff in an email this morning, “I feel good about the work we have done together the last 15 months. There are numerous important initiatives and projects that I look forward to seeing you complete. I’ve loved seeing numerous teams lean-in to building great workplace culture and know that you will continue that journey beyond my transition. I also feel good that there is a very strong administrative team in place to continue to steer the organization forward. I will work hard in the coming weeks to prepare for a seamless transition.”

Clifton also noted that the decision to resign was extremely difficult, but the right decision for him and his family.

“On behalf of the Palm Springs City Council. I thank Justin Clifton for his service to the City of Palm Springs, our residents, businesses and visitors. Justin has been a strong and thoughtful leader. During his service we have weathered a remarkable series of challenges. In each of the challenges, he has shown a clear ability to engage with residents, staff and Council. We appreciate his need to move forward with a new opportunity,” Mayor Lisa Middleton said in a prepared statement.

“We wish him and his family the very best and we are grateful for his service to our city. Mr. Clifton will remain with the city through mid-September. The City Council will promptly begin the process to identify the strongest City Manager candidates. Our process will be thorough, fair and will involve public input. Palm Springs offers a dynamic and demanding opportunity for public service,” added Middleton.