The man who has been deputy mayor in Rochester since April 2017 says he will be leaving that job after the end of this year.
Cedric Alexander, the former city police chief who later went on to a career in Georgia in law enforcement and still consults nationally in that field, tells WXXI News he needs to return to his home state of Florida to care for his ailing mother.
The 64-year-old Alexander says he leaves on good terms with Mayor Lovely Warren, and he indicated his decision to leave City Hall is something he has been talking about with her for some time.
Alexander tells WXXI News that he’s had a more than 40-year career in public service, and as he puts it, he has "had a great ride," and this is a good time to make the shift in his working life.
Alexander expects to continue to do consulting work; he has appeared on CNN as a consultant during various major public safety incidents.
He also says that current communications chief at City Hall, James Smith, will be replacing him as deputy mayor. He says his mother has been ill for some time, but indicated her health problems have gotten worse.
Smith came to the Warren administration in January 2015, after a stint as Seneca County manager. Before that, he served as Monroe County communications director in Jack Doyle’s administration, and also worked as deputy Monroe County executive and had also been executive director of the Monroe County Water Authority.
Mayor Warren told reporters on Tuesday that Alexander did give her notice some weeks ago he needed to move to be with his mother. She says he will be missed.
“He’s been a great asset, a great friend, and I hate to see him go, but I do realize that family comes first and having an aging parent is something that makes people consider what is most important," Warren said.
Warren also says that Smith has a solid resume as an administrator.
“James Smith brings a wealth of knowledge and organizational management and structure; having been the Deputy County Executive , having been a Communications Directr, the County Manager for Seneca County, he brings extensive knowledge of government."
And Warren also feels that Smith will be able to fill administrative duties similar to the way the late Len Redon had filled the Deputy Mayor's role.
“He was a COO, Chief Operating Oofficer and worked hand in hand and that’s literally what I’m looking for at this point in time; for someone to be able to move the process along with me to understand the vision and I think that James will be able to do that."
Alexander says he leaves on good terms with the mayor, and feels the city is headed in the right direction.
“She’s really leading a real charge, a real great charge and all of us here are being very positive, and if anything that I could share or leave with this community, is that we just move forward and be positive together," Alexander said.
