City officials announce retirements, testing and personnel updates at Newark council meeting

A city official told the Newark City Council on Jan. 20 that two long-serving employees are retiring and that a civil-service hiring list is being established following a recent exam.

The official announced “two retirements in the buyer division,” and gave names recorded in the meeting transcript as Sean Biancey (listed with 32 years of service) and Randy McDaniel (listed with 27 years of service in the wastewater treatment plant). The official said a civil-service test recently closed with 30 people passing; the new hiring list will be used to backfill positions.

Separately, the council heard a brief personnel update noting a promotion within the police department: the transcript records acknowledgment of the promotion of Corey Stevens (title not specified in the record) and commendations for the city’s safety forces and other departments for recent work.

The announcements did not trigger formal council action in the meeting record; they were presented as informational reports from city staff. The meeting agenda also included standing committee reports and an income-tax revenue report for the period ending Dec. 31, 2024, which were received and filed without recorded objection.

Why it matters: Long-tenured retirements and the establishment of a civil-service list affect city operations by creating vacancies that the administration expects to fill through established testing and hiring processes. The items were presented as administrative updates rather than items requiring council approval.

The personnel items and civil-service testing information were presented during the city-officials reports portion of the meeting and are recorded in the meeting transcript.