Robert (Dr. Robert M.) Perez (May/July 2024 – present) — ongoing (as of late 2026). How long will he make it?

 Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr. (often called Norton Bonaparte) was Topeka’s first permanent city manager.

Topeka switched to a council-manager form of government in 2005 (after earlier mayor-council and commission systems). Bonaparte started in March 2006 as the first person hired for the role on more than an interim basis.

List of Permanent City Managers

Here is the list of the five permanent (non-interim) city managers based on available records:

• Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr. (March 2006 – ~2011; terminated by council) — ~5 years.
• Jim Colson (August 2012 – October 2016; resigned) — ~4 years.
• Brent Trout (October 2017 – end of 2021; resigned) — ~4 years.
• Stephen Wade (September 2022 – July 2023; fired) — ~10 months.
• Robert (Dr. Robert M.) Perez (May/July 2024 – present) — ongoing (as of late 2026).

Interims (e.g., Richard Nienstedt, Doug Gerber, others) served between some of these but are not counted as permanent.

Average Tenure

Using approximate completed or current tenures for the first four (to allow a full calculation): roughly 5 + 4 + 4 + 0.83 years = ~13.83 years total → average of about 3.5 years per permanent city manager.

This is a bit below the national average for city managers (often cited around 5–7 years in studies, though it varies), which aligns with Topeka’s pattern of relatively short stays, often due to resignations for personal reasons, firings, or better opportunities elsewhere.

Note: Exact start/end dates can vary slightly by source, and interims fill gaps. For the most authoritative details, check the City of Topeka’s official site or archives.