Faced with the prospect of eliminating editorial staff, San Francisco Bay Guardian editor and publisher Tim Redmond has left after 30 years with the paper.

Over the past few weeks, Redmond had been in discussions with San Francisco Newspaper Company president Todd Vogt and editorial vice president Stephen Buel over the paper’s reorganization. While the two sides disagree on whether Redmond resigned or was fired, he told the San Francisco Chronicle that his departure would have occurred either way:

Redmond said he had not in fact quit, but added that the distinction was of little importance.
“The reality is if I hadn’t been fired I would have had to quit,” Redmond said. “There were things (the owners) wanted to do with the Guardian that I was not interested in doing and I could not find in myself in good conscience to do.”

Redmond served several years on the AAN Board of Directors as First Amendment Chair. The longtime Bay Guardian executive editor was given the added role of publisher when the paper was sold to Vogt’s SF Newspaper Company in 2012. AAN has been unable to reach Redmond for comment.

Culture editor Caitlin Donohue is also leaving the paper. Managing editor Marke Bieschke has been named as interim editor.

Stephen Buel — who spent nine years as the editor of the East Bay Express before joining the SF Examiner in 2011 — will take over as publisher. Buel tells AAN that Redmond’s departure alone will negate the need to eliminate any additional positions.

He said that while the Bay Guardian‘s financial situation made cuts unavoidable, the company is not considering merging it with SF Weekly, which was acquired in January.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “It makes more financial sense to keep those two distinct, obviously on the editorial side but also from a business perspective.”