Waukesha City Administrator Named Finalist for Missouri City Manager Position
Lori Luther will be interviewing with city next weekend.
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Waukesha City Administrator Lori Luther has been named a finalist for the Columbia, MO, city manager position, she confirmed early Friday evening.
Luther will be interviewed for the position next weekend, she said.
Columbia is a city of about 100,000 people and is located closer to her Kansas hometown and her parents.
“It is a beautiful community,” said Luther during a very brief phone conversation.
KOMU in Missouri is reporting that Luther is one of four candidates that were selected from 70 applicants.
Luther e-mailed the Common Council, Mayor Jeff Scrima and department heads Friday about her interview.
"I wanted to personally inform you that I was recruited by a national executive search firm and have been selected as one of four finalists for the Columbia, Missouri City Manager position," Luther said in the e-mail. "While I wholeheartedly enjoy serving the City of Waukesha, and you have my steadfast commitment to continue giving the job my very best, I hope you understand my interest in exploring this opportunity.
"Columbia, (MO), is closer to my hometown in the Kansas City area, where my parents still reside, and this is a chance to advance my career.
"Please know that this will not impact my continued commitment to the betterment of the City of Waukesha and I will keep you informed as the process unfolds."
Luther, who lives in Waukesha with her husband and three sons, is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the city. Her biggest task is to develop a budget each year with the help of the Finance Department.
This past year, Luther introduced a budget that started with a frozen tax rate, meaning city taxes were frozen for the majority of city residents because the city did not re-assess properties in 2010.
Other notable accomplishments in Waukesha are negotiating a wage freeze in the 2010 executive budget and requiring city employees to contribute more toward their health insurance premiums.
Luther began serving as the city of Waukesha administrator in 2008. She previously was the city administrator in Reedsburg and assistant city manager in Overland Park, Kansas.
Luther has a Master of Public Administration from University of Kansas.
Matthes is the assistant city manager and chief information officer in Des Moines, IA. Myers is the city manager for Port Angeles, WA. Vela is the assistant city manager in Abilene, Texas.
zarita
5:19 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011
I'd be running as far away from the Walker regime as I could too...
James Wigderson
6:03 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011
This has nothing to do with Walker. Luther was good at holding the line with the city unions. Unfortunately, this probably has a lot to do with the mayor.
Chad Black
8:21 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011
The mayor and Walker are one. They think the same and talk the same. This is the first of many talented people who will flee these awful leaders.
tootsieraul
12:02 pm on Saturday, March 12, 2011
This has everything to do with the unions. Your fleeing administrator wouldl need to cut benefits drastically to balance the budget. She can't keep going to the well of benefits and promises without turmoil. Remember, the new reporting structure of Waukesha makes the City Administrator fully accountable for the budget.
If Columbia hires another candidate watch how many tax shifting "fees" will be proposed to circumvent the 2 year levy cap.
Perhaps Scrima will emulate Ronald Regan with his veto power. "Go ahead, make my day."
Gregg Wandsneider
6:15 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011
Oh no, what is the Common council to do now? What if they don't care for Waukesha's next city administrator? In all fairness to Luther though, she is a good woman. sat across from her at the "Lead the Dream" luncheon a couple mo nths ago. sounds like a real Southern bell! I congragulate her for receiving this position. This means that she must be doing some good work in Waukesha.
Sarah Millard
6:24 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011
Gregg, she is a finalist and still has to go through a final interview and there are three other candidates.
Jeff
11:09 am on Saturday, March 12, 2011
Can't say I blame her. Its an advancement career wise and it gets her out of a bad situation here.
alpine5654
10:07 pm on Monday, March 14, 2011
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/14/job-candidate-tussled-with-towns-mayor/
It appears Ms Luther will not be getting the job in Missouri...
tootsieraul
6:24 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ms Luther did not get the job. Her loyalty to the city is of concern. In my opinion, no employee should be paid the balance of their contract if they take a position with another employer. $70,000 would have been the difference the mayor asked for in holding this years budget.
Jeff
10:29 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Loyalty to the City? Its just job and its a job where the head of the City hates you. People leave jobs for greener pastures all the time. As long as she continues to do a good job, I don't have any issues with her looking for a career advancement that would bring her closer to her family.
tootsieraul
3:43 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
If your "appointed" city administrator doesn't like the newly ELECTED head of the city or the issues for which his platform was based, even if that platform is totally against the direction of the city council, she has the right to ask to be released from her contract. But why, oh why, should the city administrator be paid the balance of the contract if said administrator chooses to leave for a position with another employer? Did your city administrator strike this super deal with the former mayor, Larry Nelson, whom appointed the administrator? There is no loyalty here, you are correct that it is just a job, Jeff. The common council needs to evaluate whether there is true value in even having a 6 figure administrator in light of the reduced state funding now that Waukesha has a mayor who stays in town and actually focuses on day to day operations.
Jeff
4:26 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
This continued pathetic attempt to discredit Lori Luther is getting old. If she leaves the City I would think she wouldn't get her contract paid out unless a bad deal was made by the Council when she was hired. Maybe I am wrong but until I see the contract terms that say she gets paid even if she leaves, I am just going to believe you are another person who doesn't do their homework and is still trying to make Luther out to be the bad guy.
The fact that a headhunting firm for larger City approached her about the job should speak volumes about her value.
tootsieraul
11:54 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Remember who was quoted as saying "there is more money to be made in Kansas"?
Head hunters often lead to puffed ego's and broken spirits. They're paid to come up with possible candidates. Don't you get the impression that the Waukesha's City Administrator has now told the world through the media that the boxes are packed. Waukesha's going to be budget cutting anyway. Perfect timing.