If you ask Buellton City Manager Steve Thompson where he’s from, he’ll smile and say, “Did you detect a slight accent?”

The Tennessee native has been working in small town governments for almost 40 years and is retiring at the end of August. He and his wife will move back to Tennessee to help with some family affairs.

“I’ve been doing this for 37 years in the career of local government, and it’s fortunate I’ve been able to end my career in this really nice place with 13 years as city manager,” he said.

Thompson calls Buellton “just a neat little town,” and in his years of service, he said some of his favorite city projects have been the Buellton Community Recreation Center, Riverview Park, Oak Park, and the botanic gardens and dog park, which are currently under construction.

He is also proud of sidewalk construction, city beautification improvements, water distribution and wastewater treatment improvements, which, he said proudly, came without raising water rates for the last 11 years.

Solvang City Manager Brad Vidro said he’s known and worked with Thompson for the last four years and often looked to him for advice.

“It’s always enjoyable (working with Thompson); he’s very humorous,” Vidro said. “He’s got a dry sense of humor, and I enjoy that slow southern charm he has. But don’t be fooled, he’s very knowledgeable and good at what he does.” Vidro said Solvang and Buellton have a friendly rivalry and partake in “city shenanigans.” For instance, Vidro said, there was an inside joke about Vidro being the “King of Solvang.” So, at the Solvang State of the City luncheon in February, Thompson led all the Buellton staff in wearing paper crowns in his honor.

Linda Reid, Buellton’s assistant city clerk, said she’s worked with Thompson for nearly eight years, and while they’ve had many laughs, she believes his 13 years as city manager is a testament to his leadership.

“I think he really just gets the whole picture of how a city should be run and how government functions,” she said. “It takes a certain person to be a good city manger.”

Thompson said while he “helps steer things,” it’s the city staff and commission volunteers do the work for the city.

“I’ll miss the people I work with and the people in the community I’ve worked with to help make this a little better community than it was when I got here,” he said.

For the new city manager, who has yet to be placed, Thompson said he has one word of advice: patience. He or she needs some patience, he said, to become acclimated to the community, meet with community leaders and, learn what the community wants to see what’s best for the city’s future.

One of the most difficult parts of being city manager, he said, is working with the five different personalities on the Buellton City Council while simultaneously performing the daily duties of as city manager.

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time. … You do the best you can for the community as a whole and hope it works out.”

Fortunately, he said, Buellton is “a great community with a lot of fine people.” He said he enjoyed living in the small town atmosphere.

Looking back on his career, Thompson said he wished the city had tried a little more community outreach and that citizens had been more involved in city affairs. But, he concludes, with a low crime rate, safe budget and beautiful surroundings, most citizens must be pleased with the state of the city.

“We’re all just very, very fortunate we live here,” he said, adding he’s very appreciative that he’s been able to spend so much time in the valley. Thompson joked when asked questions about himself and said “Just put down ‘short and good looking.’”

He said he enjoys watching sports and being the outdoors, and maybe in the freedom of retirement, he’ll learn how to cook and garden.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” he muses. “I’m going to go fishing. I know I’m probably the worst fisherman that ever was, but I’ll enjoy getting out on the lake.”

He laughed and said he’ll enjoy waking up in the morning and knowing he won’t have meetings or appointments, though he is going to miss the valley and said he’s already planning to come back and visit.

“I don’t do goodbyes very well,” he said. He said he plans to thank everyone in the weeks leading up to his retirement and then disappear.

“It is a neat little town,” Thompson concluded. “And it’s been a great experience. I wish the best for the community and I hope they get a really great city manager … It’s going to be difficult to leave.”

Reach Lauren Crecelius at lcrecelius@syvjournal.com.