Fox Point Village Manager Scott Botcher, who was charged in connection with a June crash that killed a motorcyclist in Waukesha County, is leaving his position at the village.
Botcher submitted a letter Aug. 25 announcing he’d retire on Sept. 2, according to the letter obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Village President Christine Symchych accepted the letter on behalf of the village on Aug. 25, Fox Point Police Chief and Interim Village Manager Christopher Freedy said.
Botcher, 62, who manages the village’s operations and services, was charged with one misdemeanor count of hit and run – attended vehicle in connection with a June 25 crash on Interstate 94 that killed 29-year-old Colton Jose.
Jose’s family members have raised concerns the charge doesn’t accurately reflect the loss of life.
The court case is still ongoing and the Wisconsin State Patrol hasn’t yet released the results of its investigation into the crash.
On June 30, Fox Point’s village board approved a request from Botcher to take accrued paid time off as the investigation and legal process unfolds. Since then, Freedy has been serving as interim village manager.
Botcher has spent 38 years in public service and served as village manager for Fox Point since 2015, according to the letter.
“Serving as Fox Point’s Village Manager has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career, and it has been a privilege to guide this community through times of change and progress,” Botcher said.
In the letter, just over a page long, Botcher did not acknowledge the charge or ongoing investigation, instead focusing on his efforts to help revive and shape the village over the past decade, from community service to financial performance.
“No day is promised, and it is time to do other things,” he wrote.
“Leadership is measured not only in how you begin, but in how you finish. It is measured in how you step back and the spirit and integrity with which you depart. I leave grateful to the Village for entrusting me with this responsibility, to the residents for holding us to high standards of performance, and to the staff for their professionalism, dedication and friendship.”
Neither Botcher nor his attorneys could be immediately reached for comment on Aug. 27.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fox Point village manager steps down amid hit-and-run investigation