Williams resigns
Will stay until new ED director hired
Staff reporter
Following a three-hour Marion City Council meeting Dec. 31, Marion Economic Development Director Jami Williams tendered her resignation.
Executive sessions were held during a special meeting Dec. 27 when the council and Williams attempted to negotiate Williams' contract for the coming year.
At that meeting, following 90 minutes of executive sessions, Jerry Kline made a motion to direct city attorney Dan Baldwin to prepare a contract with Williams that included a four percent merit increase. Gene Winkler seconded the motion and the motion passed, 3-2, with Bill Holdeman and Mayor Mary Olson opposing.
At the Dec. 31 meeting, also following 90 minutes of closed door sessions to discuss non-elected personnel, the meeting reconvened with city administrator David Mayfield reporting to the council that Williams had submitted her resignation to the city council. She will continue to work under a contract between her and the city to allow her to remain in the position until a new person is hired for the position.
Olson made a motion to accept Williams' resignation. Holdeman seconded the motion. However, the motion failed, 1-4, when Holdeman was the only one voting to accept the resignation.
After the meeting, Olson was contacted for comment.
"The council didn't have a contract to look at so I voted 'no'," Olson said.
Williams also was contacted for comment and she verified that she had resigned and she will continue to work as the city's economic development director until another person can be found for the job. (See exclusive interview with Williams in this edition of the Marion County Record.)
Williams completed two years as a contract employee for the city. Her annual pay at the conclusion of the contract, which ended Dec. 31, was $49,968.17 per year.
Although she was a contracted employee, she enjoyed city employee benefits that included the city contributing to a KPERS (Kansas Public Employees Retirement System) account, vacation, compensatory time, sick leave, and holiday pay.
Provisions were included in the agreement that provided severance pay to Williams if she would have resigned before the end of her contract. The contract also required Williams to give a one-month written notice if she voluntarily resigned. The city would not be obligated to provide any termination or severance pay upon Williams' voluntary resignation.
A contract between Williams and the city will be negotiated at an upcoming council meeting.
