Bloomington needs a new city manager.
David Hales was introduced Tuesday as the new city manager in Joliet. He’ll start Nov. 27, making $215,000. (That’s a pay bump from his current $189,000 salary in Bloomington.)
“The City Council is extremely impressed with the qualifications and background of Mr. Hales," Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk said in a statement, according to the Joliet Herald-News. "He is clearly a seasoned and respected city manager who will bring a tremendous amount of value to our city.”
Hales’ departure was widely expected. He’d been a finalist this year for at least two other city manager positions—in Racine, Wisconsin, and Topeka, Kansas—that ultimately didn’t pan out.
Hales’ current contract with Bloomington was set to expire in July 2018.
"It's not unusual for city managers to look for a new set of tasks or a new set of challenges," Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner said on GLT’s Sound Ideas in July. (Renner is currently on a medical level of absence.)
Hales has served as Bloomington's city manager since 2008. When he came to Bloomington, Hales and elected officials cited his financial experience as a needed skill to stabilize a budget under stress. Since then, the city has gone through significant layoffs, rebuilt fund reserves, increased funding for streets and retirement funds, and gone through an extensive planning process.
“It has been an honor to serve the City of Bloomington as city manager for the past nearly nine years, and I have truly enjoyed living and working in this community," Hales said in a statement Wednesday. "Looking to the future, I am pleased to have been selected by the City of Joliet as incoming city manager and look forward to this next stage in my life and career.
"Over the next days and weeks, I will be working with our staff and elected officials here to ensure a smooth transition as Bloomington looks to begin the process of recruiting a new city manager," Hales added. "Bloomington has a very capable team that I am confident will continue building on the city’s success and addressing its challenges.”
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