After a lengthy discussion, a tabling, then an un-tabling, the Milton City Council voted to hire a full-time city administrator.
Subir Mukerjee will officially take over as the city’s administrator on March 1. He will be paid a base salary of $120,000, plus benefits.
Mukerjee’s experience includes more than 17 years with the city of Olympia, where he started as the director for Community Planning and Development, then moved on to assistant city administrator in 2004. He resigned from this position last summer, when the city began downsizing its administrative staff.
A draft of Mukerjee’s employment contract was presented to council members at their Feb. 16 meeting. Details of the contract include city-paid monthly car allowance and general
business expenses; and up to $3,000 in relocation costs – if Mukerjee decides to move to Milton within two years of hire. He currently lives in
Olympia. The council chose to reduce the administrator’s car allowance from $250 per month to $125.
After reviewing the contract, some council members felt it was too excessive.
“This contract is just way overboard,” Councilmember Leonard Sanderson said. He expressed concerns, especially with the monthly car allowance.
Milton resident Rob MacDonald also expressed concerns to the council over the administrator’s position.
“I don’t see how we can afford a city administrator right now,” McDonald said. “We are having a lot of budgeting problems.”
Others on the council felt it was time to resolve the issue.
“We need to move on,” Councilmember Debra Perry said. “I think that the last couple meetings have demonstrated how bad we need one (city administrator).”
Councilmember Bob Whalen, one of three who voted against the contract, expressed reservations, but said he “will work to see this decision succeed.”
“I am impressed by this individual,” Whalen said. “But the financial burden is what troubles me the most. This person has to pull their weight and prove to us that this was a good investment.”
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