Council debates when to vote on city manager contract

Although the city of Springfield announced the choice of Republic City Administrator David Cameron to be the Queen City’s next city manager, members of Springfield City Council have yet to formally vote on an ordinance formalizing the selection and approving Cameron’s contract.

At a special meeting yesterday, council members discussed a hitch in their plans – namely, the publicized date of the vote.

A May 14 news release announcing Cameron’s selection said the ordinance would appear on the agenda at the May 19 meeting, to include a public hearing, and then a vote would follow on May 27. The issue expressed yesterday is that May 27 is not a regular council meeting day.

Additionally, while the city’s announcement of Cameron’s selection signals that a majority of council members are in favor of hiring him as city manager, some on council appear to be poised to vote against the hire.

Mayor Jeff Schrag expressed a preference of voting as announced on May 27. Council is already planning to meet that day in a special closed meeting to discuss litigation. Schrag proposed having a portion of that meeting open to allow for the city manager vote.

Councilmembers Heather Hardinger, Monica Horton, Craig Hosmer and Brandon Jenson voiced objections. Hosmer and Jenson noted there was no time crunch – Cameron would be scheduled to start in July if approved – and Hardinger and Horton expressed concern for public availability during a daytime meeting.

Schrag noted the public hearing – the opportunity for members of the public to express their views – would be held May 19. He added that the special meeting would be available live online and recorded as well.

Without a special meeting, the earliest the vote could take place is June 9.

Councilmember Abe McGull said he anticipates being absent that day. Councilmember Callie Carroll noted that she believes all members should be in attendance for the important vote.

Following a pause in discussion to go over the agenda for the upcoming meeting, Schrag came back to the topic of the Cameron vote with a decision.

“We have full attendance on May 27, so I’m going to move ahead with having the vote on the 27th of May,” Schrag said.

Hosmer said it does not look good for council to approve the city manager in a special meeting.

“I think that creates a problem,” Hosmer said. “We’re starting out with a manager; it’s going to be a contested vote, and I think when we do it in a lunch meeting … it’s also one of those things that’s not the normal way we do business as a city.

“It’d be different if there was an emergency situation – some reason we had to do it, and that’s what we normally do.”

Horton said the bill may generate a considerable debate.

“We want to be in a setting where if folks want to be able to come physically to be able to engage with that debate aside from online, certainly in addition to, I think it would be most appropriate to have it in our normal setting,” she said.

The special meeting, which like council luncheons is open to the public, is planned in a conference room at the Councilman Denny Whayne Conference Room in the city’s Busch Municipal Building, 840 N. Boonville Ave. It’s a smaller space than the regular meetings, which take place at the city’s Regional Police & Fire Training Center, 2620 W. Battlefield Road.

“This is something where everyone could participate in real time, whether it’s in person or online, in the considerableness about the debate that’s going to follow this particular council bill,” Horton said, adding, “I’m talking about public debate amongst us, because we have some final words, right?”

Schrag said there is no public or staff participation in the council vote, but Horton said there will be quite a bit of discussion by council.

“I think that that is a critical piece to this specific agenda item,” she said.

Schrag said the mayor sets the agenda for meetings, and he expressed a reluctance to hold off on a vote until the end of June.

“What’s the hurry?” Horton asked.

“I’m ready for us to move on to the next thing,” he said.

Hosmer said an early vote in a special meeting creates the wrong perception.

“I think that just creates an unnecessary cloud over what we’re doing,” he said.

Schrag said he would communicate the vote date to council prior to the May 19 meeting.

In a news conference on May 14, Schrag was asked whether unanimity of the nine members of council is important in the selection of a city manager, and he replied that it is not.

“I believe we live in divided times, and I believe that my job is to get us to five,” he said, referring to the simple majority needed to confirm Cameron. “If I can get us to seven, that’s great; if I can get us to eight, that’s great.”

He added that all council members know the city manager has to be successful, and all have pledged to work to make him successful.

“I’ve taken everybody on their word,” he said.