Waco City Manager Bradley Ford, who ascended to the city’s top staff post in the depths of the pandemic, announced Wednesday that he will step down effective Feb. 28, 2026.
Ford cited family commitments for the decision and indicated he hopes to stay in Waco.
“This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me and my family,” Ford said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Waco and to work alongside such talented and dedicated city employees. Over the next months, I remain committed to supporting the Council, our staff, and our community as we continue moving Waco forward.”
Ford came to Waco in 2017 as an assistant city manager after experience in municipal posts in Fort Worth and Burleson. The Waco City Council named him city manager in July 2020 to replace Wiley Stem. Since then he has handled pandemic and winter freeze emergencies, overseen a major street and road upgrade initiative and helped lay the groundwork for a proposed $2.8 billion downtown redevelopment plan.
In the statement, Mayor Jim Holmes called Ford “an exceptional leader with a strong skillset, a passion for economic development, and an impressive track record. He has been a joy to work alongside — genuinely caring about his staff and the entire City team.
“His commitment to excellence and his dedication to our residents have left a lasting impact. What speaks volumes about Bradley’s character is his commitment to Waco — he wants to stay here and raise his family, which shows his deep belief in the future of our city.”
During a Thursday morning call with the Bridge, Ford said that level of “always-on” commitment proved unsustainable. A major health scare last year sidelined Ford for a month in 2024, “and coming out of that, I made some promises to my wife, to myself and to the council that I would dial it back a little bit.”
“What I figured out over the last 12 to 16 months is dialing it back is just not in my nature,” he said.
Ford’s uncompromising approach to the job “ran in conflict to being a great husband and a great dad,” he said.
An August story on KXXV-25 reporting that Ford earned $468,000 a year in his council-approved compensation package caused an uproar on social media.
But that “wasn’t a factor at all” in Ford’s resignation, Holmes said in an interview. Approving Ford’s salary was “an easy decision,” Holmes continued, because “his skill set is very valuable” and because Ford was being asked to perform several duties outside the scope of his position.
Ford also downplayed the compensation controversy.
“If a person in a role like mine allows social media comments to guide a life choice like this, they’re not being the leader they need to be,” he said. “Those that know what a city manager does have been very kind and thoughtful about their responses to my compensation, particularly the council.”
The council will now begin a comprehensive search for the new city manager. In the statement, the rest of the council echoed Holmes in praising Ford’s service.
“The city has achieved remarkable progress under Bradley’s leadership,” Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Barefield stated.
“He has guided his team and our city toward generational change through thoughtful policy updates, multimillion-dollar infrastructure improvements, and ensuring the safety of our water resources, among other initiatives. As a Wacoan and council member, I am truly grateful for both the visible and the behind-the-scenes efforts that contribute to our city’s growth.”
Council Member Isabel Lozano said she has been impressed with Ford’s “dedication to his role as City Manager, his perseverance through challenges, and his servant heart. Bradley has a strong ability to lead with integrity, build consensus, and support City staff.”
Council Member Josh Borderud stated: “Bradley Ford led our city during a dynamic time with integrity, compassion, and strength. His courage and wisdom during the pandemic, drought, and winter storms deeply inspired those of us who worked alongside him. He always put people first, with the well-being of our residents and city employees as his highest goal. I am immensely grateful for his service to Waco.”
Council Member Darius Ewing noted that he and Ford were sworn into their positions on the same day.
“Being able to watch him serve and lead our city through continued unprecedented circumstances, both up close and from afar, has been an absolute honor. I have learned from Bradley what it is to lead with absolute care for those who are following you, while focusing on what is ahead.”
Council Member George Chase said, “It has been my pleasure to work with Bradley over the 15 months that I have been on council. Waco is lucky to have had him as our city manager and should be proud of all that we have accomplished under his leadership. He has assembled afantastic group of people around him, and I am confident that Waco’s forward momentum will continue. I will miss working with him.”
Ford told the Bridge that the six-month runway to his February resignation is meant to give the council time to find a successor. But there is still plenty of unfinished business to wrap up before then, including the upcoming budget audit, capital improvement plans, and work related to the Barron’s Branch phase of the downtown redevelopment set to start in 2026.
When the time comes to pass the torch, Ford hopes his next job keeps him and his family in Waco. “Our church home is here, our relationships are here, … and I want to be a cheerleader for Waco. We’ll just have to figure out what makes sense for us in 2026.”
Editor-in-Chief J.B. Smith contributed to this story. The story was updated Thursday with additional comments from Ford.
