Chandler council appoints John Pompeo as city manager, approves contract with $360,000 salary
Loading...
Summary
The Chandler City Council voted to appoint Acting City Manager John Pompeo and approved an employment agreement that sets pay at $360,000 a year plus a $10,000 sign‑on payment; several council members said the process moved too quickly but the majority supported the hire.
The Chandler City Council voted on Nov. 24 to appoint Acting City Manager John Pompeo to the permanent city manager post and approved an employment agreement that sets his salary at $360,000 per year plus a $10,000 sign‑on payment.
Supporters on the dais and two public commenters said Pompeo has steadied the city during an interim period and earned the community’s trust. Several council members, while ultimately voting to approve the contract, criticized the timing and public notice for the item, saying the agenda and contract changes were posted with little time for review.
Mayor (speech) opened the special meeting with a single agenda item: "discussion and possible action on the appointment of city manager, but, an employment agreement." He then moved to approve "the appointment of city manager and approval of employment contract with a few caveats and changes," proposing a $360,000 annual salary, a $10,000 sign‑on payment, and edits to language allowing six months for the manager to find housing. Vice Mayor seconded the motion.
Two residents spoke in favor before the council discussion. Sally Putnam, identifying herself as a Chandler resident and business owner and a member of the Chandler Chamber board, said the city already has "a franchise quarterback" and urged the council not to search for another manager. Chuck Wolf, also a resident and business owner, said Pompeo "has been professional, direct, and responsive" and that a search would waste taxpayer time and money.
During council debate, Council member Poston said he would vote for the contract but criticized the short notice: the item and contract changes were posted Friday for a Monday meeting, he said, giving residents and the community little opportunity to review or comment. Council member Orlando similarly questioned the timing and last‑minute changes and said he preferred executive‑session discussion before public action; he said he would abide by the council’s decision. Council member Hawkins and Council member Harris described Pompeo’s recent performance as decisive and said a four‑month evaluation and executive‑session review informed their votes. The Vice Mayor framed his vote as reflecting staff and residents’ desire for stability.
On the roll call, Council member Harris answered "Yes," and the Vice Mayor answered "Yes." The mayor announced, "Motion carries by majority." The transcript records the motion’s passage; a full roll‑call tally for each member is not recorded in the portion of the transcript provided.
The mayor closed the meeting, noting there were no unscheduled public appearances, and welcomed John Pompeo "officially" as city manager. The council said it will reconvene in two weeks.
Notes: The motion as stated on the record included several contract edits described by the mayor (salary, sign‑on payment, housing timeline and cleanup to a 60‑day clause); the transcript contains the mayor’s wording of those edits and does not include a full, line‑by‑line contract text in the public record provided here.
