THOMASVILLE — Steve Sykes said he intends to resign from City of Thomasville government, but he had not made it official Wednesday morning.

Thomasville City Council voted unanimously Monday night to offer Sykes a severance package containing a total of $80,000 contingent upon his resignation by Dec. 31.

Sykes, the city manager/utilities superintendent, said he told individual council members after the November city election he was interested in resigning.

“I have not spoken to the council as a whole,” Sykes told the Times-Enterprise.

“After the runoff election, I was more determined,” he said.

Sykes said that to his knowledge, the first time his possible resignation was discussed by the council was during a closed session last week.

At the top of a Monday council workshop at City Hall, Mayor Greg Hobbs called a closed session. The council left the workshop meeting room and went to nearby council chambers. After about a minute, Hobbs returned to the workshop and took council members-elect David Hufstetler and Todd Mobley into the closed session.

After 20 minutes, officials returned to the workshop. Sykes did not attend the closed session.

When the council, other city officials and the large crowd attending the workshop went to council chambers for the regularly scheduled council meeting, the room was packed beyond capacity with about 85 people. The meeting was moved upstairs to the municipal auditorium.

In two separate motions at the end of the meeting, Council member Max Beverly proposed the severance package.

After the meeting, Beverly said Sykes decided to resign “but wanted a few things worked out.”

“We met in closed session about a personnel matter with the two incoming council members,” Beverly said, adding that he could not discuss what was discussed in the closed session.

“I’m not retiring. I’m resigning,” Sykes said Wednesday.

He said he knew the council could discuss his resignation intention, but he did not know when it would be addressed. Sykes knew the closed sessions last week and Monday were about him.

Sykes said he will notify the council by letter about his intention to resign.

A city employee for more than 30 years, Sykes, 53, has been city manager/utilities superintendent for 13 years.