Committee holds community wellness director hire; debates innovation analyst funding and approves two city attorney pay-range changes

Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevich's Finance & Personnel Committee on May 7 voted to hold a vacancy filing for the Community Wellness & Safety director (file 11,730) at the request of Alderman Sharlene Moore, who said recent increases in violent incidents underscored the need for clearer council oversight of the office.

Moore told the committee she wanted "a little bit more oversight" and an opportunity for council input on who fills a key post that handles violence-prevention work and community trauma response. Administration officials said the position had been posted May 2 with a closing date of May 23 and that an acting director, Karen Tyler, is carrying out duties in the interim. Harper Donohue (Department of Employee Relations) explained recruiting outreach already under way and said the administration was prepared to work with council members on community engagement during the finalist stage. Alderman Moore moved to hold the vacancy; the committee approved the hold.

The committee also spent extensive time on a separate personnel item related to creation of an Innovation Policy Analyst (IPA) and a technical correction to the Budget and Fiscal Policy Analyst position authority. Department and budget staff said the communication before the committee corrects a technical error from an earlier January action that moved position authority in a way officials now say was improper. DOA and innovation staff described the IPA as a role intended to increase cross-departmental data-driven efficiency and revenue opportunities; innovation staff said the office's single analyst had helped identify roughly $10 million in potential revenue and efficiency measures but needed additional capacity.

Several members, including Aldermen Scott Speicher and others, pressed for a clear long-term funding source before creating a new, ongoing position outside the annual budget process. Budget director Nick Kovac and Department of Employee Relations staff said the mechanism the administration planned to use was the auxiliary resource program (ARP), a budget account designed to allow limited off-cycle position authority when managers and council agree. Some members described ARP use for a permanent, recurring position as "unusual" and asked that funding offsets or formal budget treatment be identified in the 2026 budget process. After discussion, committee members held the IPA/funding discussion for further follow-up; the item remained unresolved pending further information on funding and process.

Separately, after an amendment and debate, the committee approved an administrative change to the vacancy report to set the pay range for two assistant city attorney (ACA 5) positions at the higher 2TX rate; staff said the change was intended to improve recruiting for experienced attorneys. Budget and city-attorney staff said funding for those positions was present in the 2025 budget line but cautioned that outside-counsel spending related to litigation has already pressured that office's budget.

Speakers who appeared or were quoted in this portion of the meeting included Alderman Sharlene Moore, interim acting director Karen Tyler, Harper Donohue (ER director), Mr. Mahan (administration staff member, name recorded in transcript), City Attorney Evan Goike, Budget Director Nick Kovac, Twanna Swanigan (Business Finance Manager, City Attorney's Office), and committee members.