Usry, Out. City Manager Uses Last Meeting to Define His Legacy
City Manager Greg Usry has left the building, and a legacy.
Rye City Manager Greg Usry, who announced his retirement back in December, walked out of his city hall office for the final time last week. On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at his final city council meeting, Usry worked to define his own legacy and then received accolades from various council members and others who had come to say thank you. Usry’s role now transitions to Brian Shea, who steps up from assistant city manager to interim city manager while the city completes the process to make a permanent appointment.
Usry spoke for thirty minutes and reviewed highlights from the last six years. His presentation and video, along with Mayor Josh Cohn’s “mayor’s message” from late February, are both excellent reference points to understand priorities, accomplishments and struggles of managing the city.
“The single most important asset the city has are 160 employees,” said Usry in his talk. “Full stop. We can talk about the beauty, we can talk about the school district, we can talk about the proximity to New York, but the reason why this city works the way it does is because 160 people show up every day and do things that they do.”
Usry spoke about five key areas:
Personnel – the City’s 160 employees
- Succession planning including 70% transition across department heads including Rye Recreations, the Boat Basin, Public Safety Commissioner and the Rye Golf Club Manager
- Four union contracts extended through 2029
Public Safety
- Expanded fire department including professional command (five lieutenants and one captain)
- One of two swift water rescue teams in the county
- Various equipment across all our emergency services
- Emergency preparedness between the city and all schools
Capital projects including
- Sanitary sewer work has been the largest city infrastructure investment in 50 years ($23 million – the result of the Save the Sound settlement)
- Rye Recreation amphitheater, tennis courts and more
- Dredge of the boat basin and Milton Harbor channel
Technology including
- New city website
- Automated web based services online that previously required a trip to city hall
- Public wi-fi at Rye Recreation, Disbrow and the Rye Boat Basin
Senior staff initiatives including
- HR investment
- DPW skilled labor for projects (versus using contractors)
- Process for pursuing state and federal grants
After various council business was discussed, the council and various speakers took turns expressing thanks to Usry, with the notable exception of Rye Mayor Josh Cohn, who was absent for most (not all) of the meeting.
In addition to Council members, Usry received kudos from County Legislator Catherine Parker at the dais, Congressman George Latimer who phoned into the meeting, State Assemblyman Steve Otis, State Senator Shelley Mayer who sent a video, former Councilmember Lori Fontanes who sent regards from Paris, former Councilmember Sara Goddard, Joe Pecora, chair of the boat basin and Chris Shoemaker, director of the Rye Free Reading Room.
See:
Video of Usry’s talk:
Video of thanks to Usry:
