New Oak Ridge city manager hired for $229K a year
Randall W. "Randy" Hemann will take over as city manager of Oak Ridge on Nov. 1.
By a vote of 6-0, Oak Ridge City Council approved his contract Monday afternoon. Council member Sean Gleason was absent from the meeting.
Under the three-year contract, Hemann will make a yearly base salary of $229,000 - the amount he was making in Mooresville, North Carolina, where he has served as town manager since September 2019. City information stated that money for his salary is included in this year's city budget.
In comparison, former City Manager Mark Watson made $202,571 a year when he retired on May 6 after serving nearly 12 years as city manager, according to information from the city. Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers makes an annual salary of $235,455 and has served as superintendent since 2013, according to information from the school system.
Gooch had said Hemann wanted to give 60-days notice to his employer before coming to work in Oak Ridge.
Contacting Hemann by phone after the vote, Gooch put him on speaker so others in the Municipal Building courtroom - where the meeting was held to approve his contract - could hear the incoming city manager's comments.
"Thank you for your vote of confidence," Hemann said. "And I am ready to get started there."
City council selected Hemann as the new city manager by a 5-2 vote on Aug. 18. Earlier that week, he and finalist Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, who most recently served as city manager in Duncanville, Texas, had spent several days in town meeting one-on-one with council members, touring the city and meeting with city leaders and department heads in city government. They also answered questions at a public forum at Oak Ridge High School.
Council members Gooch, Gleason, Jim Dodson, Chuck Hope, and Charlie Hensley voted for Hemann. Council members Derrick Hammond and Ellen Smith voted for Ferrell-Benavides on Aug. 18.
As outlined in a city news release, Hemann served as assistant city manager for community services in High Point, North Carolina, prior to his years at Mooresville. In High Point, "he helped construct a $36 million baseball stadium that spurred downtown growth."
He was also city manager in Oxford, North Carolina, for two years following a 27-year career in downtown development in Salisbury, Kinston, and Benson, North Carolina.
“I look forward to working with staff and the development community to continue implementing Oak Ridge’s vision for a downtown area that becomes a central point for residents and visitors to gather, celebrate and enjoy,” Hemann said in a press release.
Hemann was born in Huntington, West Virginia. His resume shows he has a bachelor's degree in political science from Marshall University in Huntington and a master's degree in public administration from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
Deputy City Manager Jack Suggs will continue to serve as interim city manager until Hemann begins work.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed.
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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: New Oak Ridge city manager hired for $229K a year
