Ifo Pili returns to Utah after four years in Las Cruces

Ifo Pili says his four years as the Las Cruces City Manager have rounded out his skillset as a leader as he is set to return to Utah.

Pili resigned his post this week to take over as City Manager in West Valley City, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City on April 8. Pili played football at BYU, where two of his daughters are currently competing on the track and field team. His son, a sophomore on the Centennial football team, recently picked up an offer from BYU.

Pili said the West Valley opportunity was the only job in Utah he would leave for at this stage of his career.

"I've had other opportunities presented to go back to Utah, but I started considering it only because of my children," Pili said. "I came here with eight of them and now I have five and they are all going to BYU and Utah."

Pili said he was contacted by a search firm in November. He was offered the job in February, but the prospect of returning to family began to sink in when he drove to Utah with his family in February, where 50 members of his extended family took over a restaurant.

More: Las Cruces City Manager Ifo Pili resigns. City says it will seek internal candidate.

He still didn't sign the offer letter until last Friday.

"This city (West Valley) in particular, I wish it didn't come open until later because I still feel there is so much I want to do and want to be a part of here. It's a great city," Pili said. "I have a wonderful mayor and city council and a wonderful staff. I fell in love with the community."

Ifo Pili's tenure in Las Cruces began during pandemic

Pili was hired by Las Cruces City Council after 14 years as an administrator building the city of Eagle Mountain, Utah from the ground up.

He was hired to take over in Las Cruces at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He restructured the city's organization and improved insurance benefits and pay for city employees. The City has added police officers and Pili said council has approved a 24% pay increase for police throughout his tenure.

The City has taken steps toward revitalizing areas across the city with LiftUP Las Cruces and two metropolitan redevelopment areas.

Las Cruces has increased its minimum wage and City Council has allocated federal funds toward a guaranteed basic income project. When asked what projects he felt haven't been completed as he leaves his post, he said addressing poverty in the city stands out.

"I'm really proud of the organizational culture and the alignment between council and staff," Pili said. "We are all working on the same page and moving in the same direction.

"Coming in, I asked council what they wanted me to work on and every one of them said we needed to move the poverty dial and that hasn't been moved. That is something that will probably continue to bother me. I think there is so much more potential with economic development that we were just getting started."

Mayor Pro Temp Johana Bencomo said Pili has been open to projects related to poverty in Las Cruces while adding that it's not a government only issue.

"I think he has moved the needle and poverty is a really big needle," Bencomo said. "I think he has been at the forefront for some pretty big changes and I'm really proud of work we've done together."

Pili steps away at a challenging time for the city, which is still grieving the loss of Las Cruces Police Department officer Jonah Hernandez.

Local business leaders have become increasingly frustrated and vocal with instances of trespassing and two LCPD officers also face criminal charges for their involvement in fatal officer involved shootings.

Pili said every city presents its own challenges. Throughout his tenure in Eagle Mountain, Utah, Pili said that city grew from 250 people in 1996 to over 70,000 residents currently.

West Valley, Utah is the second largest city in Utah and Pili said it's the only city in Utah where minorities make up the majority of the population.

"I lost a police officer in my previous city which totally devastated the community just like it has with officer Hernandez, but that is the only thing similar with previous city. There are different challenges in the city I'm going to now.

"I has certainly made me a better city manager."

What is next for Las Cruces?

The City posted the job for Pili's replacement on Wednesday with the expectation of hiring an internal candidate in March. Pili said his last day will be around March 15.

Pili made an annual salary of $216,000. He signed an employment agreement extension in July 2023 through September 2026, but as an at-will employee, he will not be penalized for leaving prior to the end of the current contract.

"I would be heartbroken no matter if things were hard or not," Bencomo said. "I think (Pili) is deeply valued. He has been wonderful to work with. I'm personally having a hard time thinking about doing this job without him. But when I put feelings aside and think about the city, I think he has been intentional about building a good bench."

Pili said he will appoint an acting city manager while city council determines the hiring process to identify his successor. Pili was selected in Las Cruces after a process that involved a search firm and 18 months without a city manager while William Studer and David Maestas served as interim city managers.

The current belief among council members is that between Pili's top three assistants, as well as experienced department heads, there are several individuals capable of stepping into the role.

"There are really incredible people in the city who worked under Ifo," Bencomo said. "He was really intentional about building a deeper bench. I feel sad, yet confident that we will find someone soon."

Assistant city manager Ikani Taumoepeau followed Pili from Eagle Mountain to Las Cruces. Assistant City Manager Sonya Delgado is a Las Cruces native with experience in multiple roles and chief administrative officer Barbara Bencomo has been with the city since 2010.

"(Taumoepeau) is very capable and my hope is that he will stay and put in (for the job)," Pili said. "That would give me piece of mind knowing that he would stay and continue on. My hope is that everyone stays. Everyone is committed and passionate."

Prior to his departure, Pili said he will provide his experience as the city works through the budget process. During the city's budget retreat, department heads provided presentations to receive funding from the city's general fund.

"I really want to make sure those things are in our budget," Pili said. "There is enough money for the parks and facilities improvements. I think all of those can be funded.

"I think the city is on a good trajectory and I hope it will continue on that good trajectory."

Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @jpgroves.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Ifo Pili returns to Utah after four years as City Manager in Las Cruces