Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday officially appointed Danielle Dulin as the ninth manager in the city’s history.
Dulin’s appointment, and annual base salary of $250,000, passed on a vote of 4-1. Commissioner John Matta voted no, though the item was part of the consent agenda.
Matta said Wednesday his vote wasn’t about Dulin’s contract but rather her lack of “needed experience.”
He said he was excited for Dulin to come to Manhattan and said, “I will do all I can to make sure she’s successful.”
Mayor Susan Adamchak discussed the hiring process on Tuesday’s episode of In Focus on KMAN-AM 1350.
“We had a very robust selection process,” she said. “Close to 50 candidates put forward their names, which says an awful lot about the attractiveness of Manhattan, Kansas.”
After shortening that list to four, Adamchak said the commission “invited those candidates to come and meet the community and meet with city staff and spend it with the commission, spend today interviewing all the candidates. And Danielle rose to the top.”
Commissioners will review the salary an annual basis. The parties may agree to adjustment based on performance and cost-of-living.
Dulin has an anticipated start date of Oct. 14.
Other benefits of the contract include moving expenses and a one-time interim housing supplement of $5,000. The city also will reimburse her for travel and meal expenses, up to seven days, for house-hunting trips and pre-employment meetings with the city government.
The city also will pay health insurance for Dulin and her family and will make $22,500 per year in retirement contributions.
Previous city manager Ron Fehr made $192,000 his last year before retirement.
