Salem picks new city manager
Salem City Council has picked Keith Stahley, the assistant city manager for Olympia, Washington, to be the city's next manager.
The selection comes after a five-month recruitment, candidate screening and interview process that ensued after Steve Powers retired earlier this year. Kristin Retherford, Salem's urban development director, has been serving as interim city manager.
“Keith is a solid choice for Salem,” Mayor Chuck Bennett said. “This community can expect continued excellence in fiscal and policy management from the city with Keith at the helm. We’ve heard great things from everyone who’s worked with him in Olympia.”
With more than 30 years of local government experience, Stahley most recently served as assistant city manager for Olympia and managed the Office of Community Vitality.
City officials said Stahley led community development, climate, community court, housing and homeless response, and economic development programs in Olympia.
“When we spoke with Keith’s co-workers and community partners, they conveyed their deep respect and admiration for him and his work in the community,” council president and Mayor-Elect Chris Hoy said. “We’re looking forward to bringing Keith to Salem and advancing the council’s work on key priorities of creating more housing options, reducing our impact on climate change, and building a community we can all have pride in for years to come.”
The city manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the chief executive officer of the city, working under the policy direction and goals of the council. The city manager prepares the annual recommended budget for consideration and provides the council with information on future operational needs, policy matters and regulatory requirements, and directs day-to-day administration of the city.
The listed salary for the position was $220,000 to $250,000.
Stahley received his master of public administration degree from Florida Atlantic University, his bachelor of landscape architecture degree from Syracuse University, and is an International City/County Management Association credentialed manager.
He is expected to begin work Sept. 12.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem chooses new city manager
