City Manager Hales Opts To Leave Joliet

JOLIET, IL - After a dismal job performance during the past 10 months, Joliet's $215,000 city manager David Hales has agreed to leave the city of Joliet. City Clerk Christa Desiderio issued a press release late Thursday afternoon announcing the city will be adding an agenda item to next Tuesday's regular meeting of the Joliet City Council that concerns the employment of the current city manager.

The item authorizes the council to execute "a separation agreement between the city of Joliet and the city manager, David Hales." The separation agreement, if approved, will take effect the next day, Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Last fall, the city council approved a three-year city manager's contract with Hales who came from Bloomington after eight years as the city manager there. Joliet's previous city manager, Jim Hock, also worked under three-year deal.

With Joliet, Hales started at City Hall in late November but he has been a major bust, failing to address a number of lingering issues including excessive overtime pay at the Joliet Fire Department. He failed to hold department heads and directors accountable for shortcomings. Hales also showed he was unable to handle simple leadership assignments such as hiring a new police chief for Joliet.

Within days of Brian Benton's announcement of his upcoming departure in August, Hales went behind the city council's back and hired a police consulting firm to oversee the collection of applications, resumes and manage the screening process of prospective police chief candidates. This decision will cost the city at least $9,500 and probably more, by the time the consultant group's work is done.

Hales' decision to use another paid consultant on the city's dime caused some officials to seriously question why the city even employed a city manager, especially someone making $215,000 plus a $250 per month auto allowance, plus generous fringe benefits, all paid by the city taxpayers.

On Wednesday evening, this Joliet Patch editor published an opinion column calling for the city council to remove Hales from city government before the end of this year.

Thursday's press release from the city clerk states that "a formal media release and corresponding details will be issued following the city council meeting Tuesday, October 16."

Ferak Column: It's Time To Oust City Manager David Hales

File image of David Hales via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor