Council approves David Cameron as city manager

David Cameron was approved as Springfield’s city manager by a 5-4 vote of City Council today.

Mayor Jeff Schrag and councilmembers Callie Carroll, Heather Hardinger, Derek Lee and Abe McGull voted for the hire. Voting no were Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Craig Hosmer, Brandon Jenson and Monica Horton.

Prior to the vote, Councilmember Hosmer made a motion to postpone the decision until the regular June 23 meeting of council when all members would be present and the public could be accommodated.

Hosmer said the vote was not an emergency.

“If anyone can tell me why it’s so important to fast-track the bill and deviate from our normal process, please let me know,” he said.

The city’s head of Human Resources, Darla Morrison, clarified that the onboarding could be accomplished between June 23 and the July 7 start date.

Hosmer’s motion failed.

In the discussion of the choice of Cameron for the role, Hosmer said the national search with a $350,000 salary was based on the idea that it would attract a candidate from a large city.

“Instead, we’re going six miles away,” he said.

Hosmer said Springfield has different issues than Republic.

“To get the issue right on development is a relatively easy solution, but to get the issues right on poverty, on homelessness, on mental health, on drug and alcohol, on crime – those are hard,” he said, adding the city needs a manager who is equipped to handle these issues.

Horton said she had predicted a latent public response, and in fact she received over 70 pieces of feedback from city residents in the last three days. Many said they wanted the vote to be postponed, and some shared the same concerns raised by Hosmer.

Adib-Yazdi said it was his hope that the search could be restarted; however, he pledged his support to Cameron, if council voted in favor of him.

Chosen from a pool of 75 applicants in a nationwide search, Cameron is presently employed as city administrator of Republic. His first day in his new role is scheduled for July 7 with a salary set at $350,000, a 30.6% increase over his predecessor, Jason Gage, who left the city’s top executive role more than 19 weeks ago, on Jan. 11. 

Cameron was not present at this morning’s meeting, as he was scheduled to be on a plane to Tennessee, the site of a personal retreat without phone access that he schedules annually. 

"As someone born in the Ozarks, raised in 417-land and shaped by the values of this region, I’m incredibly honored by the thought of serving as Springfield’s next city manager,” Cameron said in a prepared statement provided by the city.

“This is not about one individual; it’s about what we can accomplish together in Springfield, across the region, and throughout Missouri," he said. "I understand this decision was not unanimous, and I respect those who voted differently. Their commitment to public service is evident, and I look forward to earning their trust through our shared work ahead.”

Cameron was announced as the selection to be the next city manager in a news release from the city on May 14, prior to today’s vote. In the announcement, Cameron said he was honored to join the city in his role and would miss the Republic staff and community. 

That news release said council would vote on his employment contract on May 27, following a public hearing May 19. The May 27 date is irregular for council action, as weekly Tuesday luncheon meetings of council are typically informational with no action taken. Mayor Jeff Schrag characterized the announcement of the date as erroneous but opted to stick with it despite objections from some councilmembers, noting the mayor has the authority to set the council agenda. 

Unlike today’s vote, the last two hires for city manager were nearly unanimous. Greg Burris was hired after an 8-1 vote by council in 2008, and Gage received an 8-0 vote, with one member absent, in 2018, according to past SBJ reporting and information from city spokesperson Cora Scott. 

In multiple interviews with SBJ, Schrag has said that one of his early goals as mayor is to get to the five votes needed from council to confirm hiring Cameron. Ahead of the vote, he said he was not concerned with the lack of unity. 

Public process 
In an interview with Springfield Business Journal yesterday, Cameron was asked whether the city’s rollout of his hire, with an announcement of his selection before a formal vote by council, made things difficult for him. 

“No doubt it’s been a challenge, but you know that going into it,” he said. “It’s a public job, and you have to be aware that transparency matters.” 

Cameron has heard some of the objections to his selection from members of the public and council members alike, but he said he admires people who stand up and make public statements of belief. 

“It’s nothing personal,” Cameron said. “There have been some legitimate concerns people have recognized.” 

One critique levied by Councilmember Jenson is about Cameron’s embrace of the disruptive leadership style – something Jenson said can either create transformative, efficient and effective change or it can demoralize staff and result in poor outcomes. 

Cameron said he understands the reaction. 

“When you hear the term on its face value, it makes it sound like tearing stuff apart,” he said. “My issue is disrupting norms that no longer work.” 

If someone hadn’t disrupted telephone communication, he said, everyone would still be using bag phones. 

Similarly, he said, government continues to use tools from the 1970s and before. 

“Why are we trying to use old tools to do a new job?” he said. “We’ve got to be innovative and collaborative. Employees know there’s a better way to do it.” 

For Cameron, disruptive leadership comes down to three words: processes, relationships and trust. A process that keeps people on the phone until 7:30 p.m. or responding to emails until midnight is a broken one, he said. 

“We need to identify those areas,” he said. “When someone says to me, ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it,’ I say, ‘Put disruptive leadership in the filter.’” 

He outlined five steps to effective disruption: setting expectations, building a team around those expectations, creating alignment for how decisions are made, challenging the status quo and not letting fear get in the way. 

“What if we try it and it doesn’t work?” he said. “Well, try again.” 

Cameron said he values setting expectations for people and holding them accountable, and he said the results he achieved in Republic are undeniable. 

Under his nine years of leadership, according to a news release, the city of Republic has delivered $1.4 billion in capital investments and created 3,000 new jobs. 

Perhaps the most notable economic development win during Cameron’s tenure was the 1.3 million square foot Amazon distribution and fulfillment center at 3200 E. Sawyer Road in Garton Business Park, just south of James River Freeway.  

Back in 2021, Cameron told SBJ that the project was approved by the city of Republic in six days, an example of streamlining processes. 

When asked about the preference for some, like Councilmembers Jenson and Adib-Yazdi, for a city manager with experience in a larger urban area, Cameron said he understood that perspective. 

“I submitted my application for what the job was in the city I knew, and people selected me,” he said. 

Jenson said he had expected to attract a more experienced candidate from out of market when he and other members of council last year approved a 31% bump in pay for the role. 

Cameron said that the problems Springfield is seeing are happening nationwide, and they require the collective work of the leadership team and staff – through processes, relationships and trust. 

“I’m going to use the same tools I’ve used throughout my entire career for every problem I’ve ever addressed,” he said. “There’s not one person who’s going to address all of those needs, but I’m a leader of leaders, and I believe that.” 

Cameron said a priority for him will be to meet people from neighborhoods. 

“That’s not a mountain for me; I love to hear what’s going on,” he said, noting that the 24 registered neighborhoods in the city are like 24 communities – similar to his hometown of Miller. That, he added, is something he understands very well. 

Contract details 
In addition to his $350,000 annual salary, to be reviewed annually by council for possible increase or decrease, Cameron’s contract stipulates other compensation, including a $7,800 per year automobile allowance and travel reimbursement. 

He will accrue vacation leave at the rate of 80 hours per year in his first year and 100 hours per year in his second and subsequent years, with a maximum accrual of 200 hours. He receives 24 hours of sick leave at the start of his contract, to accrue at the rate of 96 hours per year with a maximum accrual of 1,440 hours, with the eligibility to participate in sick leave redemption – a rollover or payout at the end of the accrual period. He also receives paid holiday and exempt leave. 

The contract also provides for health, dental, vision and life insurance on the same terms as other full-time unclassified employees in the city. 

Additionally, the city will make 100% of required contributions to the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System on behalf of Cameron, and it will offer him an supplementary Section 457 retirement plan with an annual contribution of $15,600 in May of each calendar year, except for the first year, when the contribution may be made in the month of Cameron’s choosing. 

The city agrees to pay job-related expenses and professional development fees, subject to annual budget appropriation and city policy. 

Cameron’s contract details the requirement to dedicate 100% of his business hours to the city, meaning that any consultancy work through his corporation, Disruptive Leadership LLC, would have to cease. Cameron told SBJ previously that he would keep the LLC but would not do consulting work, and in fact he has not done so for several months. 

Cameron is still permitted by the contract to perform outside activities, such as charitable work and speaking engagements, that do not generate income, do not reflect adversely on the city, do not create a conflict with his duties and are not inconsistent with the city charter or its mission. 

He is required to establish residency inside the city limits no later than his start date and must maintain his primary residence in Springfield throughout his employment. He is also subject to annual performance reviews. 

If Cameron is terminated without cause, the city must pay his salary up until the date of his termination, plus a one-time lump payment equal to nine months of his then-current base salary. If he is terminated for cause or without good reason upon by 60 days’ written notice, he shall be entitled to his accrued benefits without the obligation of severance pay. 

If he chooses to leave the position for good reason, the contract grants the city 30 days to remedy the cause. If he still wishes to leave the city’s employment, he will be entitled to his accrued benefits and the nine months’ severance payment.