Plain City has hired an interim administrator to run the village through the end of the year.
At a special meeting this week, village council approved the hiring of Nathan E. Cahill. Council gave him a six-month contract with a salary equal to that of the outgoing administrator Kevin Vaughn who was paid $84,574 with an additional $4,800 car allowance and $40 monthly for a cellphone in 2017.
“I am just happy to have the opportunity to serve council, the mayor and the community,” Cahill said after the meeting.
He said that his goal during his interim appointment is to, “serve the needs of the council and the mayor as they serve the needs of Plain City as it grows.”
Cahill attended the June 25 council meeting, participating in a lengthy executive session. Following that meeting, council members researched Cahill’s resume.
“His references turned out great,” Council President Pro-Tem Kerri Fergusson said at the meeting.
Council member Jody Carney said references highlighted Cahill’s adaptability, his ability to work with a variety of people and his ability to see a project through to completion.
Council unanimously approved Cahill’s contract as an emergency, though members never mentioned his name or salary during the meeting.
After the meeting Mayor Darrin Lane said it is important to get someone onboard before Vaughn’s last day, Friday.
“We are trying to pick up where we left off,” Lane said. “We have so much going on. We don’t have time to wait.”
Cahill began earlier this week.
Member Shannon Pine said the council is “fortunate to find such a qualified candidate in such a short time.”
Management Partners, a professional management consulting firm specializing in local government, brought Cahill to the meeting.
“This is what they specialize in,” Lane said. “I don’t think they would put their name on someone they didn’t think was a good fit.”
In remarks to council, Cahill hinted that he could be interested in the permanent administrator’s position.
“I just want to thank council and the mayor for this opportunity,” Cahill said following the vote. “I look forward to working with you at least on an interim basis and, who knows, maybe on a permanent basis.”
Lane, will be responsible for bringing an administrator candidate to council for approval.
“They are wanting to be diligent about going through a process,” Lane said.
He said that hiring an interim administrator made sense, given council’s deliberate approach to find the right candidate.
Cahill has served as economic development administrator for the City of Centerburg since May 2008. During that time, he has served as acting city manager in the manager’s absence. Before taking the position in Centerville, Cahill served as planning and development director/city planner for Huber Heights, and as associate city planner in Beavercreek.
He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Dayton and a Masters of Public Administration from The Ohio State University.
Council has said it wants to explore the option of hiring an economic development director for the village, though the process was put on hold to allow the administrator, once hired, to make some of those decisions.