TOM COLE LEAVING TO PURSUE ‘ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOR’
After only seven months in the position, the city administrator for Platte City has announced he’ll be leaving at the end of this month.
On Tuesday evening, March 4, the city announced that Tom Cole has resigned from his position effective at the end of March, “to pursue a personal entrepreneurial endeavor.”
Steve Hoeger, Platte City mayor, said during his short time with the city, Cole made contributions to Platte City’s growth and development, overseeing numerous projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for residents and fostering economic growth.
“We are grateful for Tom’s service to our City,” said Hoeger. “While we will miss his expertise and guidance, we fully support his decision to pursue new opportunities, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Cole expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community and praised the hardworking team at City Hall.
“It has been an honor to work alongside such a talented and dedicated group of individuals. Platte City has always held a special place in my heart, and I am proud of the direction the city is advancing toward. As I embark on this new chapter of my career, I look forward to staying connected with the city and continuing to see it flourish,” Cole said.
The city will immediately begin the process of identifying a successor to ensure a smooth transition and an interim solution will be presented soon.
Hoeger indicated to The Landmark that he will be checking with DJ Gehrt, the city’s former longtime administrator, to gauge his interest in serving as interim administrator until a permanent replacement for Cole can be hired.
Gehrt stepped in to serve as an interim after Marji Gehr–his successor after Gehrt retired from the post in the summer of 2023. Marji Gehr was fired in February of 2024 after just eight months on the job.
The board of aldermen did not–and is not required to–present any public reasoning for Gehr’s dismissal. Her eight month tenure was a tumultuous one, with members of the public–and some staff–reporting that there were temper tantrums. Gehr was also present with a some fellow city employees at a local restaurant when Brad Wallace, city public works director at the time, assaulted a man sitting at the same table with Gehr and the other city staffers. Wallace eventually pled guilty to the assault in August of 2023, and voluntarily left the city’s employment in November of 2023.
As for Cole, he had come to Platte City with a background of his service “as city administrator, economic development administrator, community development director, public information officer, vice president of asset management, executive director, regional director and vice president of business development for some of the region’s most successful organizations has yielded the creation and retention of over 15,000 jobs, $1 billion of new capital investment and over $300 million of private construction procurement.”
He had most recently served as economic development administrator for Leavenworth County. Cole is a former city manager at the City of Raytown.
Cole’s annual salary with Platte City is $140,000.
