Council to vote on new city manager

The Daily Inter Lake

The Kalispell City Council will meet in special session tonight to vote on a pending agreement with Jane Howington to become the new city manager.

Howington, currently the assistant city manager for operations in Dayton, Ohio, signed the city's offer Thursday. Tonight's council vote will determine whether Kalispell Mayor Pam Kennedy is authorized to sign the employment agreement and close the deal.

Kennedy said the council unanimously backed Howington as the next city manager, but a minority on the council opposed the salary offered.

In negotiations last week, Howington agreed to a $112,500 annual salary with $5,000 of deferred compensation going to a retirement fund of her choice each year.

It includes three months of severance pay, a city-provided vehicle with personal use allowed in Flathead County, public employees retirement system contributions, medical and dental, vacation that starts at 80 hours a year and increases to 120 after the first year, 96 hours of annual sick leave, and moving expenses not to exceed $20,000.

She will not have a term of employment, rather just an agreement to work for the city.

Howington's first day on the job is expected to be Aug. 4.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in city hall council chambers.