At a special meeting Monday night, Kalispell City Council members decided to offer the position of city manager to Jane Howington of Dayton, Ohio. The council’s initial pick for the job, Matt McKillip of Kokomo, Ind., declined the offer last week based on another job opportunity he had pending, and a wish for a longer employment contract than the city was willing to grant.
McKillip and Howington emerged as the two finalists from a field of five candidates the council interviewed on June 3. On a 5-4 vote, the council selected McKillip, which made for a relatively brief discussion Monday night as council members seemed unanimous in their wishes to extend the offer to Howington.
The three remaining candidates were Howington, Livingston City Manager Edwin Meece and Joseph Frei, the former city administrator of Columbus, Neb. Lewiston, Idaho City Manager John “Jay” Krauss was no longer available, Mayor Pam Kennedy said.
Howington is currently the assistant city manager for operations of Dayton, a city of roughly 170,000. She has held the job since 2007, and prior to that, worked as the city manager of Oxford, Ohio for seven years. A town closer to Kalispell’s size, Oxford has a population of about 22,000, and is home to Miami University.
Council members expressed some concern that the $100,000 salary the city offered McKillip for the job would be a significant pay cut for Howington. The salary range for the job posting was $90,000-$125,000, and council members discussed whether some of the other benefits offered as part of the job, like use of a city car and gas allowance, might compensate for the salary cut Howington would have to take in order to be the Kalispell city manager.
Councilman Bob Hafferman said the council should stick to the $100,000 salary it offered McKillip in its negotiations with Howington.
“The way our budget is now, that should be the goal we try to hold to,” Hafferman said. “The $125,000, I don’t think really gets support from the community and that’s who’s paying the salary.”
But Councilman Hank Olson questioned whether someone with Howington’s experience would consider that salary as a serious offer.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen – she’s got the experience that (McKillip) didn’t have,” Olson said. “I don’t think you’re going to hire the lady for $100,000… she can go work anywhere for $100,000.”
At that point, Councilman Jim Atkinson pointed out that since their conversation was going to appear in the media, that the city allow a negotiating committee composed of Kennedy, Councilman Duane Larson and Interim City Manager Myrt Webb to begin negotiations with Howington and see where they ended up.
Kennedy said the city hopes to make an offer this week. And since Howington traveled to Kalispell with her husband earlier this month so he could see the area, Kennedy said she hoped the city could receive an answer within a few days.
In her June 3 interview with council, Howington emphasized her experience directing Human Resources for Dayton, managing 2,400 employees, and her extensive experience negotiating union contracts. Her previous professional experience also includes working as town administrator of Lunenburg, Mass. from 1987-1994; planning director of Acton, Mass. from 1986-1987; and chief planner of Methuen, Mass. from 1983-1986. Howington holds a master’s degree in public administration from Miami University of Ohio, and a master’s in urban and regional planning from Texas A&M University.