Chris Eppley, the administrator, has been chosen as city manager of Keizer, Ore. Now, Eppley and officials in Keizer are negotiating terms of a contract.

Whether they agree, it is clear that Eppley will be leaving Tonganoxie.

No one can fault his desire for a stable home life. His wife has taken a job in Oregon, after holding a job that has required her to travel a great deal. The Eppleys want to live together, on a full-time basis, for the first time in their 2 1/2 years of marriage.

So it’s completely understandable that Chris Eppley would want to move to Oregon. But his leadership and energy will be missed in Tonganoxie. It’s clear that he has enjoyed his time in this city.

During the three years that he’s been on the job here, Eppley has proven himself a capable city administrator.

“I love Tonganoxie,” Eppley said. “I have a lot of ties here. It’s a great community. We’re doing some wonderful things, and I’m not necessarily ready to leave. Unfortunately, we had to do what we had to do for the betterment of our family situation.”

Tonganoxie city officials will have a huge task ahead of them as they try to find an administrator to replace Eppley. He will be missed.