93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
The decision by city manager Mike Matthes to step down was not a surprise for the Columbia City Council.
The announcement came soon after members like Matt Pitzer said they were not happy about proposed changes to the community policing plan during last week’s city council meeting.
“It was clear that week Mike had lost the confidence of the council,” Pitzer says. “We indicated that to him, and then he made the decision to resign on that Tuesday.
Pitzer says council members will spend the rest of the year looking for the search firm that will help hire the next permanent city manager. Deputy City Manager John Glascock has the job on an interim basis, but is not in the running.
The city announced a $179,000 severance with Matthes on Monday, which was about a year’s salary and benefits. Councilman Pitzer says he’s not sure what the next city manager will make, but it will probably be pretty similar.
“I think we were in a pretty decent spot in terms of pay and being able to compete with talent, so I wouldn’t expect huge changes. But could there be some things that change around the margin? Sure.”
Pitzer says the consultant that’ll be hired soon to find the next Columbia city manager will give the council suggestions on salary. He expects requests for proposals in the coming days, and the new consultant to be approved in early January. A consultant got about $25,000 when the council hired Matthes in 2011.
