TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka city leaders gathered for a press conference Wednesday morning to address several issues including an upcoming vote next year and the search for the next city manager.
City of Topeka spokesman Dan Garrett said the monthly mayor and city manager press conference begins at 10 a.m. on Oct. 28 inside City Hall. Mayor Spencer Duncan is anticipated to be in attendance alongside interim City Manager Michael Webb, who took over following the recent departure of former City Manager Robert Perez.
Duncan took some time to address the separation agreement between the city and Perez. He reiterated that Perez resigned and that, as part of his resignation, he was given some benefits owed to him under existing benefit provisions while other benefits were approved by city leadership through separation negotiations.
“This is a situation where, after nearly three years of working together, two parties recognized it was time to move on, and Mr. Perez has a chance to pursue new opportunities,” Duncan said. “The working relationship reached a point where moving in different directions was appropriate and ultimately in the best interests of everyone involved. I would contend that’s a healthy and professional way for organizations and individuals to handle these situations and approach them.”
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Duncan said that, with upcoming retirement of Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley, Assistant City Manager Avery Moore will take over as deputy city manager. Duncan said there are no plans currently to fill Moore’s position of assistant city manager.
Duncan addressed an upcoming ballot that Topeka residents will see in March next year. He said the goal of the city auditor is to provide the city’s governing body with information and analysis to help city leadership make better decisions.
“The City Council is placing a proposed change to our city charter concerning the city auditor on the mail-in ballot for March,” Duncan said. “This is something I believe is important for the City of Topeka. The city is moving forward with hiring that auditor regardless of the outcome of that vote, I do want to make that clear.”
Duncan talked about the proposed 0.1% citywide retailer’s sales tax that Topeka residents will vote on next year in March. The tax is anticipated to generate $4 million annually and would go towards supporting the affordable housing trust fund and homeless initiatives. City leaders approved the vote during an Oct. 20 meeting.
“The decision, at the end of the day, is gonna belong to the voters of Topeka,” Duncan said. “It’s gonna be up to them. It’s not my decision. It’s not the city council’s decision.”
Webb, who has over three decades of experience in municipal management and has previously served 16 years in the position of city manager of Edwardsville, is occupying the role of interim city manager for Topeka. He took time Wednesday morning to address the public and speak about his prior leadership experiences as he steps in to fill the position Perez resigned from.
“Really, I think the part of interim is setting a new foundation for the next city manager so they can start off with a solid foundation, kind of like building a house, and you know you have to start there and then build up from there,” Webb said.
Duncan said there is no official decisions yet on how the search will be conducted. He expects the city’s governing body to begin discussing it soon.
“There are several different approaches that we can take on this including conducting a search internally, utilize a professional executive search firm, reaching out through professional organizations and networks and considering all other recruitment options that might be out there,” Duncan said. “None of these are mutually exclusive, you might see us try several of these at the same time if we think that that’s the best way to pursue candidates because our goal is to get the widest net, broadest approach we can to get the most qualified people that we can.”
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