New Battlefield leader eyes business growth, school system

Hess was hired in December from a pool of more than a dozen applicants and started Jan. 3. He’s responsible for overseeing day-to-day city operations and has an annual salary of $42,000, according to Mayor Judy Stainback.

Stainback for several years had seen a need for a city administrator and was able to convey that to the city’s Board of Aldermen last year. Having someone act as an intermediary among the board, city staff and the citizens will allow Battlefield to progress, she said.

“We weren’t able to be proactive in planning and economic development and raising the professionalism of our staff,” she said.

Since moving from southwest Wisconsin, Hess says Battlefield citizens have been very welcoming, and the business environment appears to be friendly. He’s eyeing major business growth in a variety of industries to boost the city’s sales tax revenue and provide for a stable economy, he says.

“I do want to grow Battlefield, but in a way that we don’t outstrip infrastructure,” he said. “I want the growth as well-controlled as possible.”

Hess also hopes to establish a school system within city limits in 10 to 15 years; currently, half of Battlefield students attend school in Republic, and the other half is schooled in Springfield. That will be a significant “step in Battlefield finding itself,” he said.

Hess is finishing up a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in emergency management from Jacksonville State University. He is a military retiree with service in the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army National Guard.