New city manager named

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: September 30, 2008

A lifelong Waynesboro resident will now have the job of running the city where he grew up.

Mike Hamp, 41, had the interim tag taken off of him by the City Council, making him the city manager effective today.

Hamp has yet to sign a contract, saying he and the council have an agreement in principle that will pay him $115,000 yearly. He had been making $98,746 as the assistant city manager.

For the past three months, Hamp had been the interim city manager following the forced resignation of former city manager Doug Walker by the current council majority of Mayor Tim Williams, Vice Mayor Frank Lucente and Ward B Councilman Bruce Allen. Hamp had served as the city’s assistant city manager for about 12 years and has worked for the city for the past 14 years.

The new city manager expressed confidence that the city would meet its challenges “in a determined manner.”

“I’m humbled by the opportunity,” Hamp said.

Members of the council said Hamp was the only person considered for the position.

“When we started this process a couple of months ago, I don’t think any of us knew exactly which direction we would be going,” Williams said. “But watching Mr. Hamp the last three months in doing this position makes this a very easy decision for me. And this was a very easy decision, I think, for all of council.”

Lucente said the council’s appointment of Hamp was a vote of confidence in the job he’s done as interim city manager. He believes the current council will work well with Hamp.

“It makes sense that you go with your assistant because he’s very close to your city manager,” Lucente said. “We didn’t know at that time what would happen, but we felt we’d give him a chance, and he’s done an exemplary job, so we felt we could make the appointment.”

The council voted 4-0 to appoint Hamp to the position Tuesday following its closed session, with Ward D Councilwoman Lorie Smith absent due to family matters.

“We have been watching him take a leadership role the past several months, and he’s done a great job,” said Ward C Councilwoman Nancy Dowdy. “So we have given him the opportunity for the next year, and we’ll see how he continues to progress and give him that opportunity, but I have faith in Mike.”

Allen said the city was “very fortunate” to have Hamp as its city manager.

Hamp’s term runs through Sept. 30, 2009. He said he would begin the process to find a new assistant city manager by the end of the week.

Lucente said Hamp, with a strong performance, could turn this into a long-term job, which the vice mayor said would be good for the city and keep continuity.

“He’ll follow out the policy of council,” Lucente said. “He doesn’t have his own agenda, and he’ll do what the council wants him to do. If he thinks it’s wrong, he’ll warn us, but he’s going to follow the policies of council.”

Hamp said he would be sensitive to the council’s guidance.

“I think it’s frustrating sometimes staying in your role and allowing the council to resolve, to solve some of the problems,” Hamp said. “Sometimes managers, leaders, certain personality types want to insert themselves in the process and help and assist.

“I think sometimes the role of a manager is simply to provide the best information that you can and allow for, and accept that sometimes the legislative process isn’t always clean. It isn’t always neat or efficient.”

Hamp, in accepting the appointment, will not have a severance package nearly as equal to his predecesor. Other than a three month severance package, Hamp will receive compensation equal to that of any city employee who retires or leaves the city, including accrued vacation time.

“He’s going to get what the standard [city] employee gets,” Lucente said. 

According to Jim Fitzgerald, the city’s human resources director, city employees who retire receive their life insurance at no cost, retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System and can continue their health insurance at their own cost. For those that leave the city, Fitzgerald said former employees can maintain their health and dental insurance, as well as any Aflac insurance they have.

Lucente said back in June that he had no problem with Walker’s severance package, but thought his benefit package “was a little excessive.” Walker’s severance check was more than $128,000.

“I think when you look at [Hamp’s] compensation package you’ll see that it is more than fair, better than what we could get if we brought somebody in here because he is local. If he does well, I think this is where he wants to end up. … It’s a good situation for all concerned.”

The council filled one vacancy in September by hiring Todd Patrick to be city attorney and has one more to fill following Meghan Williamson’s resignation in August as the city’s economic development director.