Three weeks after stepping down as Decherd’s interim city administrator, Eric Bradford has resigned from his main position as water/wastewater superintendent and is no longer working for the city.

Mayor Mary Nell Hess confirmed that Bradford tendered his resignation Monday, citing he had reached a point in his career where he felt it was time to move on. Bradford  extended his thanks for the opportunity to work for the city.

Hess said representatives from the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts are expected to be in Decherd Thursday to help assess what steps Decherd might take in the future to manage water and wastewater operations.

She said Corey Damron, who has been next in line behind Bradford in managing the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Tom Summers, who was in the same capacity in managing the Water Department, might be able to handle operations without the need to hire a superintendent over both departments.

“We’re still trying to figure it out,” Hess said. “Anything is possible.”

When Bradford resigned from the interim city administrator’s position on Feb. 27, the city agreed to call on the Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service to fill that position, which remains open.

Bradford had been serving as the interim city administrator in the place of Rex Clark, who had been fired from the position in June 2022.

Hess said MTAS will conduct a search for a city administrator, and she is optimistic the role will be filled by June.

Hess said she has taken over the duties Bradford had been doing as city administrator in an interim capacity, and she will be taking a more active role in learning about the water and wastewater operations to help decide on their future management direction.

Hess had said Bradford was pulling double duty, and being the water/wastewater superintendent was demanding enough without adding on the city-administrator responsibilities.