Gleason to return back as Decatur city manager
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The mayor of Decatur has picked a familiar name as her candidate for the city manager.
Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe announced her intentions on hiring Tim Gleason in a Thursday news conference. The current city manager, Scot Wrighton, previously said he will be retiring in May.
The past city manager is returning after working three and a half years in the city of Decatur. Gleason moved to work as the city manager for Bloomington in 2018.
Moore Wolfe believes Gleason is the right person for the job.
“Knowing the kind of work he does his work ethic, his values, how he interacts with the community with council,” Moore Wolfe said. “This is such a win for our city and Decatur deserves the very best.”
Gleason said his first steps if the council passes his contract is to meet with council members on the needs of the city and what decisions he can make to help.
“We know at the local level, whether we agree with it or not, the elected officials are under constant scrutiny,” Gleason said. “So it’s my responsibility as city manager there, and then again, here, to make sure that they’re on the firmest ground to make those decisions so that they are decisions that have been vetted properly, that we’ve considered alternatives that are the most cost effective.”
Old Decatur school may become senior living facility
Moore Wolfe said Gleason was the only candidate ever considered for the job, as Gleason met with council members and other officials after Wrighton announced his retirement.
“We did not ever get the job posted because it would be pretty disingenuous for us to post a job when, you know, many of us were saying, ‘Yeah, how do you do better than this?'” Moore Wolfe said.
Council member David Horn believes Gleason will do a good job, but thinks the candidate search process should have been more competitive.
“We are very familiar with Tim’s background, what he did in Decatur or what he’s done in Bloomington, and we know that he has the experience and leadership to lead our city,” Horn said. “But I also think the process that we use was a little bit unorthodox, and as such, may have limited opportunities that other highly-qualified individuals would have had to apply for this position.”
Gleason also worked as the City Administrator for Washington, IL, a Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and a police officer for the City of Pekin for 21 years.
In his contract, Gleason’s proposed annual salary would be $230,000. Other benefits proposed in the contract include six weeks of paid vacation and $20,000 for relocation expenses (Gleason has one year to establish permanent residency).
The full contract can be found below.
The city council is expected to vote on the contract at their meeting Monday night.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
