Normal to hire consultant to aid city manager search

Normal Town Council
Normal’s Town Council is expected to take the first stop toward finding a new city manager tonight. (WJBC file photo)

By Eric Stock

NORMAL – The Town of Normal plans to hire a consultant who would help the town hire a new city manager.

The Town Council on Monday will consider a contract with Northbrook-based GovHR USA, a firm that has worked with hundreds of government bodies all over the U.S. fill executive vacancies.

Councilwoman Kathleen Lorenz told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the town needs the search to be as thorough as possible.

“While it wasn’t an easy decision to say ‘yeah lets spend more money,’ the $20,000 is actually a pretty good number,” Lorenz said. “In our minds we actually thought it could be higher.

“We do need to make sure we do a comprehensive search, we owe it to the office.”

City manager Mark Peterson is retiring in March.

The 7 p.m. meeting was moved to Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…