Published: March 25, 2008 10:12 pm            

Mayor wants to rearrange city jobs

Moves would not add any positions to payroll

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight’s reorganization of City Hall continued Monday, with the Kokomo Common Council giving preliminary approval to several reclassifications.

While the moves Goodnight is proposing would not increase the number of employees on the city payroll, they would result in a slight net cost savings for the city, city director of operations Randy Morris told council.

The biggest change would resolve the dispute over the city’s No. 2 position, the job Morris currently holds.

Referred to in previous city salary ordinances as an “administrative assistant,” that job gained the unofficial title of “director of operations” under former Mayor Matt McKillip.

Monday, Goodnight proposed an amendment to the city’s salary ordinance which would create an official director of operations position, paying $76,180 annually.

In return for funding the position, Goodnight is proposing Morris serve as both second-in-command and assume the duties formerly performed by the city’s utilities director. It’s expected the city will not fill the utilities director position — which has the same annual pay Goodnight is proposing for Morris.

In addition, the city will not fill the systems manager job that provided the director of operations salary under McKillip.

Another position expected to remain unfilled is assistant parks superintendent, which has been vacant since parks superintendent John Martino was promoted in August 2007.

The duties of the assistant’s office would then be split between the city’s recreation manager and the parks office secretary. Both of those positions would get a commensurate bump in pay.

Kokomo Councilman Mike Karickhoff, R-At Large, said Tuesday he saw no issues with Goodnight’s proposals.

“It’s a revenue-neutral switch,” Karickhoff said. “Five positions would get an increase commensurate with new job responsibilities, but overall it would save [about $80,000] in the city’s general fund.”

Other new positions created to consolidate job duties include assistant wastewater plant superintendent ($61,731 per year; job would take some duties performed by the utilities director); information systems manager ($55,230 per year); and nuisance enforcement ($41,308 per year, less pay than city building inspectors make).

“It doesn’t require as much expertise as building inspector. It would deal with stuff like trash and weeds in the yards. The person in that position would monitor for those activities,” city controller Jim Brannon said. One of the city’s current building inspectors may be moved to another position, Brannon said.

Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com

        

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