The City of Reno’s director of code enforcement, Alex Woodley, resigned Wednesday after serving 20 years with the city. He said it was time to move on. He would not comment on what prompted his resignation and decision to retire, and city officials also said they would not comment, citing “confidential personnel matters.”

Sources told This Is Reno that Woodley used his work cell phone for non-work-related matters, but they would not provide additional information. This Is Reno placed orders to the city for copies of Woodley’s correspondence under the Nevada Public Records Act.

Woodley told This Is Reno that his position had become political despite what he said were great strides in his career, including dozens of code changes. He also serves as a Washoe County School District trustee and is campaigning to retain his seat on the school board.

“I’ve done the best that I can do,” he said. “It’s time to do something different. I feel like I’ve done a lot of good for the city. I’ve made a lot of big changes.”

He acknowledged friction with some elected city officials and city leaders, who he said were placed in high-level positions but had little government management experience. He said he faced situations where people made complaints about code enforcement issues, and he ended up taking the blame. He said the situation at times became adversarial.

“Even when you solve something, it’s perceived as not good enough,” he said. “Citizens can make anonymous complaints, and perhaps 10% of what they say is true, but the code enforcement department would still take heat. Every little incident can become a citywide crisis.”

Woodley said he plans to focus on his duties as a school board trustee. “I believe that I’m a servant,” he said. “It was time for me to go. Retirement is perfect for me right now.”