Hot seat: No Collinsville city manager has served more than 5 years

Collinsville adopted a city-manager form of government almost 25 years ago, and in that time, six city managers and five interim managers have come and gone.

The terms of service and the circumstances for their leaving varied.

It’s not entirely unheard of for appointed positions in city governments to change hands after cities hold elections for mayors and council members. But in Collinsville, the city manager position has had frequent turnover.

Robert Knabel, who served until 2011 before the most recent city manager, Scott Williams, has had the longest term at five years. The first manager in 1991, Leonard Matarese, lasted only eight months.

Williams held the position for almost three years. He was placed on administrative leave Friday, just four days after the City Council voted 3-2 against renewal of his contract.

“I enjoyed my time with the city and I’m moving forward,” Williams said Friday.

Williams will receive full pay and benefits until Sept. 3 when his contract expires. The city manager’s annual salary is $111,420 after approval of a 2 percent raise for non-union personnel at the City Council meeting.

Community Development Director Mitch Bair is serving as acting city manager, according to the city’s website.

Bair also serves as city planner, the liaison to the planning commission and the zoning hearing officer.

Those voting against renewal of Williams’ contract included Mayor John Miller, Councilwoman Cheryl Brombolich and Councilman Jeff Stehman.

Councilwoman Nancy Moss and Councilman Jeff Kypta voted for renewal of the contract.

Moss and Kypta held a press conference prior to the Monday night City Council meeting in which they accused Miller and Brombolich of calling for Williams’ termination because of his investigation of allegations against those council members.

Brombolich said during the City Council meeting she had not called for Williams to be let go. She had suggested Williams be evaluated prior to his contract’s expiration in September, Brombolich said.

Miller said at the meeting the city manager’s “ability to manage” was in question.

Kypta has said he felt there was a move to get rid of Williams and it was “like a vendetta.”

“They came in knowing they wanted to get rid of him, for whatever reason I don’t know,” Kypta said after the press conference held by Moss and Kypta.

Miller was re-elected in the April election and Brombolich was elected to her first term. They were endorsed by the Collinsville Fire Department along with Stehman, who was also elected to his first term.

The council spoke in closed session Monday for almost an hour before voting.

Moss said after the meeting the decision “saddens me for the community.”

“I think that Scott Williams was doing a fine job,” she said. “I stand by what I said; I believe that there were things other than his performance involved in this decision.”

Miller said Friday he had no comment related to his vote, related to a replacement city manager or related to the relatively short terms Collinsville’s managers have held.

Former city managers and interim managers include the following:

• Warren B. Browning was interim manager from April to May 1991.
• Leonard Matarese served from May to December 1991. He was fired for his aggressive style.
• Ken Keene, city’s engineer and public works director, served as interim manager from December 1991 to July 1992.
• Rich Mays served from July 1992 to September 1995. He left to manage Jefferson City, Mo.
• Tim Pickering was interim manager from September 1995 to January 1996.
• Thomas Christie served from January 1996 to December 1998. He left to become Wood River’s city manager.
• John Swindle, former police chief, served as interim manager from December 1998 to September 1999, when he was given the job. He served until May 2002, when he retired.
• Hank Sinda served from May 2002 until January 2006. He left after being told his contract would not be renewed.
• Pam Hylton was appointed interim manager after Sinda’s departure. She was the assistant city manager until her resignation in February 2011.
• Robert Knabel, former administrator of Litchfield, served from August 2006 to November 2011. He was asked by the City Council to resign.
• Scott Williams, former police chief, was appointed interim city manager after Knabel’s resignation. He took over the position permanently in September 2012. City Council voted not to renew his contract in July 2015.

This story was originally published July 18, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Hot seat: No Collinsville city manager has served more than 5 years."