Buckeye city manager resigns amid police investigation

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Officials with the City of Buckeye say their city manager has resigned amid allegations that were made to the Department of Child Safety.

What we know:

Per a statement released on March 25, Buckeye city officials said the city's police department was contacted by the Department of Child Safety on March 18 about allegations made against Daniel Cotterman.

"That day, Buckeye police requested the Glendale Police Department assume the case to conduct an independent investigation and ensure a fair and impartial outcome," read a portion of the statement.

City officials said during an executive city council session on March 21, Cotterman was placed on administrative leave, and Deputy City Manager David Roderique was named interim city manager.

"The City of Buckeye is cooperating with the independent investigation being conducted by the Glendale Police Department," read a portion of the statement. "Cotterman has not been arrested or charged with a crime."

When reached for comment, a spokesperson with the City of Glendale said they are conducting an investigation into the matter at the request of Buckeye.

What they're saying:

"This is an active and open investigation, and we will not be releasing any details about this case or the investigation," read a portion of the brief statement. "The reason the Glendale Police Department was contacted was to ensure that this investigation was handled in a professional manner and to avoid any conflict of interest from the City of Buckeye."

The backstory:

According to an archived version of the City of Buckeye's website, Cotterman was named city manager in February 2022, and served as Goodyear's deputy city manager for six years prior to his stint with Buckeye.

What we don't know:

Officials with the City of Buckeye did not elaborate on the nature of the complaints made against Cotterman.

As mentioned earlier, Glendale officials are also not revealing any further details on their investigation.