Help Wanted: Qualified City Manager

Historic City News will be watching tomorrow night as city commissioners face a task not encountered for a dozen years — the selection process for a new city manager.

With City Manager Bill Harriss’ announcement earlier this week that he’ll be retiring this summer, commissioners will begin discussion of a successor.

That discussion tops the agenda and it will be interesting to see what plans, if any, are reached for the position where Harriss currently earns $134,218.79 annually. Harriss is the highest paid employee of the city.

Harriss noted the tenures of city managers in St. Augustine have been exceptional when compared to other cities and counties who average only three years. Harriss credits the quality and professionalism of the city administrative staff.

Therefore, Harriss is likely to recommend that the search for his successor begin within our own city government. Both Harriss and Joe Pomar, the previous city manager, were promoted from within local ranks.

Possible candidates and their current city salary include:

$110,181.68 Timothy Burchfield – Chief Administrative Officer
$110,181.68 John Regan – Chief Operations Officer
$95,154.75 Mark Litzinger – City Comptroller
$93,472.48 Martha Graham – Director P W
$91,104.16 Mark Knight – Director Planning & Building
$86,100.00 Dana Ste. Claire – Director Heritage Tourism and Executive Director 450th
$84,389.86 James Piggott – Director General Services

If the search were expanded to county employees, possibilities include:

Locklear, Darrell M 0004 2/14/00 Assistant County Admin $122,370.36
Young, William G 4409 6/13/85 Director/Utilities $111,498.14
Konchan, Suzanne Samuels 0101 2/23/09 Dir Of Growth Man Srvcs $109,316.33
Cameron, Jerry Thomas 0004 10/31/05 Assistant County Admin $104,441.92
Bishop, Teresa L 0101 4/20/98 Dir Long Range Plan Div $101,600.14
Timms, Douglas G 0006 12/1/98 Dir/Management & Budget $99,011.17
Blount, Maryann 1270 1/11/93 Land Management Director $96,983.64
Stephenson, Joseph P 1122 12/7/99 Director/Public Works $96,983.64
Ashton, Eugene Ray 0046 7/1/80 Dir Emergency Management $95,082.00
Hastings, Glenn L 1143 11/13/95 Director/Tdc/Executive $95,082.00
Crawford, Thomas M 0094 10/10/00 Dir/Housing & Comm Svcs $93,217.65
Rubin, Michael B 0005 1/27/92 Manager/Construction $92,364.36
White, Howard T 1190 3/13/95 Bldg Services Director $92,022.38
Blevins, Samuel T 0079 1/30/95 Director/Recreation & Par $91,389.85

Photo credit: © 2010 Historic City News contributed photograph