NEWBURGH – Five months after Michael Neppl was promoted from Newburgh city chief of staff to deputy city manager with a $ 35,000-a-year raise, he is resigning.  Neppl is believed to be taking a position with a municipality in Westchester County.

It had been widely speculated that when his boss, City Manager Todd Venning quit in April, Nepple would be next to resign.

Mayor Torrance Harvey was surprised to hear that Neppl stepped down and said the search will now begin for a replacement.

“We have a great interim city manager, and he is the point of authority in employment, but we had some brief conversations. He is definitely interested in making sure that collectively we are part of that conversation as a city council,” the mayor said.

City engineer and public works commissioner Jason Morris is currently acting city manager while the city council prepares its search for a permanent manager.