The city of Galesburg is without a public works director after Monday’s city council meeting with a newly seated council.
Council chambers were packed with citizens as Bradley Hix was sworn in for a second term, and newcomers Evan Miller, Heather Acerra, and Steve Cheesman took their oaths.
First up for the new council was the consent agenda, typically a routine vote.
Among the items on the consent agenda was a one-month contract extension for interim public works director Mark Rothert.
But Hix asked for that to be pulled from the consent agenda and be discussed and voted on separately over concerns about what the city is paying him.
“I guess my only comment is I don’t think we have enough information on it. If you do the math on it, it equates to $183,000 a year, which would be the highest-paid position, even higher than our city manager,” Hix said.
Rothert has been in the position for two months and worked with former public works director Wayne Carl before he retired.
The terms of the contract were identical to Rothert’s previous contract, with a base rate of $88 per hour.
City Manager Gerald Smith asked for the extension while a search continues to permanently fill a proposed new position combining public works director with an assistant city manager role.
Smith said Rothert is not making $183,000 a year because it’s not a yearly, salaried contract, but a 30-day one.
Rothert explained the base rate also covers expenses for a contract employee such as federal employment taxes, health insurance, and administrative overhead.
“What I’m receiving from the city is just a base salary rate. I’m receiving no other benefits from the city,” Rothert said.
Rothert told TSPR his proposed hourly rate is less than both the city manager and the former public works director when considering total compensation and employment costs calculated at an hourly rate.
"Saying that I make equivalent to $183,000 a year is like saying the Galesburg city manager makes $210,009 a year, which is not true," Rothert said. “Similarly, Mr. Carl did not make $188,745 for his base pay. Unfortunately, the discussion at the city council did not accurately provide an honest, apples to apples comparison, nor was this information asked for prior to the meeting.”
Ward Five’s Acerra moved to table the vote, also saying Rothert’s contract is equivalent to $183,000 a year.
“When I looked at the salary structure for the other currently employed folks this was significantly above that, even with a factor put in for benefits. So this is part of the reason we want to table this,” Acerra said.
Council members Hix, Acerra, Miller, Cheesman, and Wayne Dennis voted to table.
Rothert’s previous contract ended Monday, so tabling the vote effectively ended his employment for the time being.
The contract will come up for another vote later this month.
Council members Dwight White and Sarah Davis voted against tabling the contract. Both expressed concerns about not having a public works director and what message this sends to other employees.
Mayor Peter Schwartzman said he had not heard any concerns from council members new or old about the contract prior to the meeting, nor had he heard any complaints about Rothert’s performance.
“With the impact being that this individual would no longer be employed tomorrow, this seems like an egregious act and not consistent with previous policy,” Schwartzman said.
The council meets again at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 15 in council chambers.
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