Joliet staff seeks new director for cultural affairs and special events amid council questions about cost and overlap

The City of Joliet on June 16 discussed a proposal to create a Director of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to centralize management of city-sponsored events and marketing, City Manager Beth told the council during a pre-council meeting.

City Manager Beth said the position would “unify our approach to coordinating, marketing, and managing city sponsored events in a more consistent and deliberate way” and would work with partners such as the City Center Partnership, the Heritage Corridor and the arts commission to increase tourism and sponsorships. The role was pitched as important to program the new city square and to give events the long lead times they often require.

The proposal raised questions from several council members about budget timing, measurement and overlap with existing providers. Beth told the council the new job was included in the adopted 2025 budget and that the city has built up $266,000 in temporary salary savings because several budgeted positions have not yet been filled. Finance Director Kevin said that, using an estimated annual salary of $150,000 with benefits, the pro-rated cost for the remainder of 2025 would be about $96,000 and that no midyear budget amendment would be required to create the position; the new position would be reflected in the 2026 budget.

Council members asked for concrete evidence that similar positions produced measurable economic or cultural returns in comparable cities. One council member said, “Without that, I won't even consider as 1 member of the council.” Beth said staff would supply quantifiable data from nearby communities that have similar positions, and that the city could provide periodic performance reports after the position is filled.

Opponents on the council expressed concern about adding another permanent position in the middle of the fiscal year and noted the city has added roughly 10 percent more positions since 2022; one member suggested waiting to evaluate returns from recent hires before adding more staff. Proponents said a dedicated manager would help attract events, sponsorships and grants and would coordinate city services so events deliver measurable hotel, restaurant and retail spending.

Discussion also touched on the relationship between the proposed city hire and programming currently done by the City Center Partnership and local nonprofits; Beth and other staff said the director would work directly with those partners and seek sponsorships to offset costs. Beth characterized the hire as an investment to increase tourism and economic development tied to the new downtown square.

No formal vote was taken at the pre-council meeting; the item remained listed for action on the next council agenda with staff directed to provide additional comparative and quantitative information.

The council requested follow-up that would include 3‑ and 6‑month performance reporting if the position is approved and implementation details on how the role would interact with Public Works, Public Utilities and existing community partners.