Oak Hill City Manager retiring

Key figure in 'bunker battle' with Governor and First Lady stepping down from post

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Oak Hill City Manager Dr. William H. Kraus will be retiring from his position shortly, NashvillePost.com has learned.

Kraus gained notoriety over the course of the last year as a key figure in efforts to block Gov. Phil Bredesen and First Lady Andrea Conte from building an underground ballroom/conservation hall on the grounds of the Executive Residence.

During his battle with the state, it came to light that, while serving as a city manager in California more than 20 years ago, Kraus had been convicted of a felony and had not disclosed the matter to his superiors at Oak Hill City Hall. The city cleared him with a vote of confidence over the non-disclosure, but he did have to jump through legal hoops to retain his right to vote in Tennessee.

Contacted today, Oak Hill Mayor Tommy Alsup confirmed Kraus' retirement and praised him for his past work. Alsup said, "He has given us five years of service and served the constituents well. He will be missed. I don't know if we will be able to find someone who brings the quality that he brought."

When asked if the recent election that saw the defeat of Vice Mayor Tommy Jacobs, a vocal Kraus supporter, led to Kraus being asked to "retire," Alsup said no.

"For a little town, this is almost a 24-hour-a-day job that was wearing on him," said Alsup. "He has been talking about this for a few months and wanting to spend more time with his kids."