New Joliet City Manager Could Be Bloomington's David Hales

JOLIET, IL - Several months after Jim Hock retired as Joliet's City Manager, the Joliet City Council could be approving an employment contract to lure David Hales away from his position as city manager of Bloomington. At Tuesday's regular 6:30 p.m. meeting, Joliet's elected officials are expected to approve a salary and fringe benefits package for the next administrative leader of the state's third largest city. The current agenda does not identify who is being recommended for the job.

Hales has worked as Bloomington's city manager since January 2009. Before that, Hales worked in West Jordan, Utah, from 2005 through 2008 as that community's finance director. Hales served as a consultant in 2004 and 2005 and worked as a city manager in Bend, Oregon from 2001 through 2003. He worked as city manager in Kannapolis, North Carolina from 1997 to 2002 and spent the previous 11 years as city manager in Centerville, Utah, according to his bio and information reported by The Pantagraph in Bloomington.

Tuesday's Joliet City Council meeting agenda notes that there is a resolution authorizing the execution of an employment agreement for city manager. According to the public meeting notice, the terms of that agreement have yet to be submitted. Last week, The Herald-News, Joliet's newspaper, reported that anonymous sources told them Hales was Joliet's top candidate. On Monday, Mayor Bob O'Dekirk told Joliet Patch he is not commenting on any job candidates or hiring matters regarding the position for now. "Right now, we're not in a position to make that announcement," O'Dekirk said. "My hope is that we will have a vote (Tuesday) night" to approve an agreement.

Now in his early sixties, Hales has been on the lookout for a new local government career challenge over the past several months. In recent months, Hales was one of five finalists in Kansas for Topeka's next city manager. Topkea ultimately hired Brent Trout, the city administrator and city clerk in Mason City, Iowa, giving Trout a three-year contract with Topeka and hired at an annual salary of $195,000, according to Kansas television station KSTN.

In March, Hales was one of three out of state finalists vying for the top City Hall position in Racine, Wisconsin, but in that case, Hales announced he was withdrawing from consideration after being interviewed. The Journal Times newspaper in Racine reported that Hales was making $185,190 as Bloomington's city manager while the position in Racine was expected to pay approximately $130,000 in annual salary.

Joliet's top position at City Hall became vacant when Hock announced his retirement effective May. Hock came to Joliet in October 2013 from Michigan. Since Hock's departure, Joliet's corporation counsel Marty Shanahan has filled in as interim city manager and Chris Regis filled in as interim corporation counsel.

Image of David Hales via City of Bloomington