City Posts Job Ads

A check of classified ads at the League of Municipalities reveals five titles for Plainfield, including police director and director of the Department of Public Affairs & Safety, both held by Martin Hellwig in the outgoing administration of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

Hellwig took only one salary for both titles. If a separate police director is hired, it could mean a salary of up to $131,310 will be added to cabinet costs.

The titles listed also include chief financial officer, deputy city administrator in charge of Economic Development and director of the Department of Administration, Finance, Health & Social Services. Click here to see the ads (scroll down).

The city has not had a full-time, in-house chief financial officer since 2007. The City Council recently approved increasing the maximum salary for the title to $155,000 to attract candidates. The outgoing administration never filled the post of deputy city administrator, formerly held in the administration of the late Mayor Albert T. McWilliams by Pat Ballard Fox .

Mayor-elect Adrian O. Mapp has already announced his choice of Ron West, another former McWilliams staffer, to head the Department of Administration, Finance, Health & Social Services. He has also named Rick Smiley for city administrator, a title that was not advertised at the League site.

Mapp will be sworn in Jan. 1, but the annual reorganization, at which appointments may be confirmed by the council, will be held on Jan. 6. Asked at the Dec. 16 meeting about the gap, Mapp said, "I will have a staff from day one," suggesting he may appoint his cabinet in acting capacity for 90 days. Robinson-Briggs did just that in 2006, avoiding the need for council approvals (and possible rejections) at the reorganization.

--Bernice