Deal sealed: New manager starts on Aug. 4

Jane Howington officially is the new city manager for Kalispell.

In a 7-2 vote at a special meeting Monday night, the City Council authorized Mayor Pam Kennedy to sign the employment agreement Howington already had signed last week.

Howington, currently the assistant city manager for operations in Dayton, Ohio, got the council's unanimous support for the post last week after a pending deal with Matt McKillip of Kokomo, Ind., fell through.

But with the council struggling with budget cuts across the board, her salary didn't get the same unanimous backing on Monday.

Bob Hafferman and Tim Kluesner voted against approving Howington's contract.

She will be paid $112,500 plus another $5,000 into a retirement fund annually, receive up to $20,000 in moving expenses or more if she documents the cost, be provided a city car for business needs and for personal use within Flathead County, get three months' severance, and receive a package of vacation, sick leave, medical and dental benefits and state retirement.

"Her resume indicates she is qualified," council member Bob Hafferman said to lead off the discussion. "But a resume and references are only the applicant putting their best foot forward, and only time will tell."

He had favored a $100,000 salary, with increases based on performance. One benchmark, he said, should be whether Howington brings cash reserves up from their current $130,000 to the $1.5 million recommended.

Her compensation package, he said, will cost property owners 4 mills in property taxes.

Council member Jim Atkinson quizzed Interim City Manager Myrt Webb on the balance between the city's $52 million budget and the city manager's budget - which is just under $159,000.

"I would have liked to see [the salary] lower, but this selection committee has done as good a job as they could do," Atkinson said.

He asked his colleagues "to seriously consider voting to approve this unanimously and start out on the right foot."

Everybody wanted the salary to be lower, council member Wayne Saverud agreed, but he pointed to her two master's degrees in urban planning and public administration and her experience.

Howington has 26 years in government including her time at Dayton - as town administrator in Lunenberg, Mass., planning director and then city manager in Oxford, Ohio, and as a research assistant for the Miami University Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs in Oxford.

"If we nickeled and dimed it to death we'd be back to square one," Saverud said. "I think she will do well here."

Council member Kari Gabriel said the committee "negotiated well we can't ask someone to move across the country" without some concessions on pay.

Council President Duane Larson argued against comparing salaries between a city manager's job and, for example, judicial positions or others in business and industry.

"Each job has its own worth," Larson said. If Howington had lesser qualifications or experience, "I wouldn't say [this, but] I think she deserves that salary."

One provision particularly made sense to council member Hank Olson.

"There was a lot of talk about six months' severance for Jim Patrick," Kalispell's last city manager who was paid another six months' salary after being let go last year, Olson reminded the council. With Howington, "it got moved down to three months. It think that was well done. When we gave Patrick six months, I about lost my hide."

Council member Tim Kluesner drilled down on contract issues with City Attorney Charlie Harball.

"Where is the probation period?" Kluesner asked. There is none, Harball said; Howington can be terminated at any time. But, Kluesner pointed out, if the council decides to terminate her after two months the city would have to pay an additional three months' severance rather than salary for time worked during probation.

He also objected to personal use of a city vehicle, calling it personal gain and cautioning against liability issues.

"I don't think that's a good precedent to set," Kluesner said.

And he tallied up all costs for the first year of Howington's employment to $141,400, a figure he said is too high in a city facing tight finances.

"Folks, I cannot defend this salary with anyone in the public," he said. "We have serious issues with the budget" and a lot of salary problems. He suggested abandoning the city manager's position entirely and returning to a strong-council form of government.

Webb pointed out the city already has a vehicle for the community development office that is not being used and all it requires is maintenance, fuel and insurance.

He also reminded the council of Howington's qualifications.

"She could be city manager anywhere, but she wants to be here," Webb said. "We had to give her a few sweeteners, that's true. But she had to take some" pay cuts.

Kennedy supported the salary and compensation package, noting the city is staying within the city manager's $158,632 budget.

"No doubt she will be able to assist us in these really tight budget times," Kennedy said.

Howington's first day as city manager is expected to be Aug. 4. Webb's last full day on the job is Monday.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com