City Manager News Headlines | 4-2-2024
OH: Dayton raises spending authority for city manager, meaning more contracts will not require commission approval
It’s about time the Dayton city manager gets treated like a grown-up. Shelley Dickstein had a shockingly low spending authority of just $10,000 before the governing body raised it.
“The city of Dayton is now a $1 billion enterprise,” Dickstein said. “We haven’t raised spending authority since 2007.”
There was a robust discussion on LinkedIn a month ago about spending authority for city and county managers across the nation. And this article provides some information about various communities in Ohio.
Read the article to see what her new limit is and share your thoughts in the comments.
CA: Vallejo Assistant City Manager Terrance Davis to step down
Davis is moving over to become the public works director for the City of Berkeley. So, even though he is taking a “title demotion” he is going to get a big raise according to the article. His most recent reported salary for the city of Vallejo was $199,775. He will now make $260,000.
FL: Lady Lake town manager gets a big raise
William Lawrence earned a big bump in pay. Hired in April 2021, Lawrence will now see his current salary of $134,000 increased to $167,500. It passed unanimously on a 4-0 vote with one member absent.
Lady Lake has a population of 16,000 and is in central Florida near The Villages.
FL: Former Cape Coral City Manager begins long-awaited lawsuit against city council
Rob Hernandez received an above-average rating of 3.8 out of five and an unanimously approved 6.25% raise just months prior to the council vote to not renew his contract. He is accusing several council members, including the mayor, of racist and anti-LGBTQ conduct against city employees and residents. He also claims his hiring of T. Sharon Woodberry, a Black woman, as the city’s Economic and Business Development Officer caused him to fall out of favor because members of the council wanted him to hire a less qualified white woman.
Before filing the lawsuit, Hernandez requested $500,000 to settle but that offer was rejected.
KS: Ex-manager Stephen Wade filed $100M claim against Topeka. City won’t say how it was handled
The City of Topeka responded very aggressively after Wade initially filed his claim a few months back. Now the city is playing coy and refusing to comment. With that said, it looks like Wade’s lawsuit will move forward.
Wade was interviewed on the City Manager Unfiltered podcast back in August in Episode 11: Suicidal City Manager Addresses Mental Health Struggle.
