Kalamazoo’s new city manager's compensation package drew the attention of some social media users when it was announced in the fall.
Malcolm Hankins was sworn in earlier this month; his salary is almost $259,000. That is over a quarter more than what the previous city manager Jim Ritsema made at the time of retirement.
On the social media website Reddit, a few users voiced their concerns over the compensation package, wondering if it was too much.
According to the president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, Eric Lupher, the skills that a city manager has are similar to those of a vice-president role in the private sector.
“Probably somebody with that skill set as a city manager could go to the private sector and make more than what this person is making now,” Lupher said.
A city manager needs a specific skill set such as managing people and working with city council, which can be stressful, according to Lupher.
Brad Hershbein is a senior economist and deputy director of research at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo.
According to Hershbein, city managers essentially function as a CEO of the city they serve, which can make the hiring process more competitive.
“Everything is geared towards, 'what kind of person can we hire, what do we need to be competitive to hire someone,'” Hershbein said. “And so, you can see pay ranges jump.”
For a role like this, there can be less turnover that other positions, leading to a greater fluctuation in salary range, according to Hershbein.
Even though social media users question the compensation, cities may face challenges finding leaders.
“It’s finding somebody with the skill sets, which is not a plentiful thing,” Lupher said. “There’s limited number of people that have been doing that long enough to offer their skills and be looking at the same time that a city like Kalamazoo is looking.”
Before moving to Kalamazoo, Hankins served as the assistant city manager of Des Moines, Iowa. Hankins began as Kalamazoo’s city manager Jan. 5.
