PHOENIX — A divided Phoenix City Council voted Wednesday to rehire Ed Zuercher as city manager , four years after he retired.

In a close 5-4 vote, the council approved an employment agreement to bring Zuercher back into the city's top managerial role. Council members Anna Hernandez, Betty Guardado, Kesha Hodge Washington and Laura Pastor voted against hiring Zuercher.

Zuercher’s rehiring comes just a month after his successor, Jeff Barton, abruptly announced that he would retire in November after 25 years with the city.

Zuercher, who is 60, would retake the helm of the nation’s fifth-largest city, with a budget of $2.2 billion and 16,000 employees. As city manager, Zuercher would be the city’s chief executive, overseeing all operations.

The City Council can hire only one city emplo

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