During the Dec. 4 Pickerington City Council meeting, City Manager Judy Gilleland received a text message confirming that Middletown City Council unanimously approved her to be their new city manager.
Gilleland will begin her new post in early January.
Middletown is located halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati, which offers Gilleland the opportunity to be closer to her hometown of Dayton and her family. Her father passed away last year and her mother is recovering from a serious illness.
Her salary in Middletown for the first year will be $120,000 and the following year it will increase to $125,000. Each year after the second, she will receive raises aligned with the cost of living unless the council votes otherwise. Her salary as Pickerington’s city manager is $105,000 per year, Gilleland said.
"I am proud of my accomplishments in Pickerington and I love the community," Gilleland said. "With mixed emotions I leave. On one hand it’s exciting to be in the Dayton-Cincinnati area close to family, but I made lots of friends and enjoyed working with everyone here."
Gilleland said her new position offers many exciting challenges. Middletown has a population of 52,000 and is located 30 minutes from both Dayton’s and Cincinnati’s downtowns. The city faces many urban issues, but none "so big you can’t get your arms around it. From a professional standpoint it will be an interesting job."
To cover the vacant Pickerington city manager position from Jan. 4 through March 31, the council approved Development Director Tim Hansley to serve as interim city manager. He will receive no increase in pay, Mayor David Shaver said.
The returning members of city council requested an interim manager to allow a smooth transition for the new year. The new council along with Mayor-elect Mitch O’Brien will select the city manager rather than having one imposed upon them, Shaver said.
