By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington found its new deputy city manager in the same place where last year it found its city manager.

Billy Tyus, the interim city manager in Decatur, will start his new job in Bloomington February 7 at a salary of $152,500, according to Bloomington spokesperson Nora Dukowitz.

Tyus was deputy city manager when Tim Gleason ran Decatur’s city government, and ascended to the top position last summer when Gleason became Bloomington’s city manager.

A Bloomington city news release said Tyus was the top pick among more than 30 candidates during a national search.

Gleason said at a city council meeting last month that the city did not spend taxpayer money on a consultant to run the hiring process.

Gleason is also revamping the position since the departure of Assistant City Manager Steve Rasmussen. Tyus will have direct contact with all city departments, while Rasmussen ran three departments under the previous system.

As assistant city manager, Rasmussen’s salary was $141,834 before he became interim city manager upon David Hales’ departure in November 2017.

Tyus is married and has two children. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Southern Illinois University. Tyus also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]