Tarrant County’s one and only chief administrator announces retirement after more than 35 years on the position

Arlington, Texas – In an announcement that marks the end of a long-standing era of leadership, G.K. Maenius, the stalwart chief administrative officer of Tarrant County, is poised to relinquish his post this coming autumn.

Maenius has the distinctive honor of being the first, and indeed the only, chief administrator of the county, serving with relentless dedication for an impressive span of over three-and-a-half decades. The forthcoming cessation of his tenure was made public on a Thursday morning, detailing plans for his retirement, set for September 30. His post-retirement life aims to strike a harmonious balance between the tranquility of his ranch in Fredericksburg, his hometown, and the familiarity of his home in Tarrant County.

In his role as the chief administrative officer, Maenius had the critical mandate of assisting the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in the stewardship of county affairs. Since his appointment in 1988, this role has evolved, broadening his purview to managing an annual budget that exceeds $900 million and supervising a county workforce of 4,600 dedicated employees.

Throughout the span of his tenure, Maenius has successfully collaborated with several county judges including Roy English, Tom Vandergriff, Glen Whitley, and most recently, Tim O’Hare. O’Hare has praised Maenius as “a Tarrant County institution,” underscoring his irreplaceable stature.

“He is a man of the utmost integrity and is simply irreplaceable. He has faithfully served Tarrant County for over 35 years, leaving a lasting legacy of service to this amazing place we call home. We celebrate G.K. and his accomplishments. His retirement is well-earned,” O’Hare said to NBC DFW.

On Thursday, the county issued a statement in which they lauded Maenius as a driving force for cooperation among Tarrant County’s cities and businesses. His accomplishments include laying the groundwork for Panther Island and playing a pivotal role in forging the partnership with the City of Fort Worth and Texas A&M, contributing significantly to the development of the new downtown Fort Worth campus.

“He has shaped the County’s role in some of the biggest projects in Tarrant County, including AT&T Stadium, the Alliance corridor, and the expansion of the American Airlines headquarters,” the county said.

Officials within the county underscored that Maenius, in his determined pursuit of service accessibility, has propelled initiatives aimed at decentralizing county services and facilities. This visionary approach has facilitated a transition of county business from a downtown-centric model to a more dispersed one that is “closer to home or online” for residents.

In a statement heralding his imminent retirement, the county extolled Maenius’ stewardship, applauding him for maintaining an operation marked by efficiency and fiscal prudence over the years. The statement pointed out that, under his watch, Tarrant County has consistently boasted one of the lowest property tax rates in the state. Furthermore, when compared with other large counties in Texas, Tarrant County has remained among those with the fewest number of employees per capita—an achievement that testifies to the effectiveness of Maenius’s leadership.

“Everyone in Tarrant County owes G.K. a debt of gratitude for helping shape Tarrant County,” O’Hare said. “His leadership and experience will be missed. On behalf of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, past and present, thank you G.K. for a job well done.”

Tarrant County went on to acknowledge Maenius’s exceptional distinction as the longest-serving county administrator in Texas, further noting that he is the sole individual to have ever held the post of county administrator in the county’s history.