Hafner no longer 'interim' in City of Delafield
Administrator- DPW director gets two-year contract
City of Delafield - The city's $1 million experiment combining the city administrator and public works director positions has apparently worked.
The Common Council unanimously agreed Monday to a two-year contract that will eventually pay Tom Hafner nearly $120,000 a year and remove the "interim" from his title as city administrator/public works director.
Hafner will receive $114,900 in the first year of the contract and $119,900 in the second year. He will also receive two additional days in personal time off as part of the contract.
The Common Council agreed earlier this year to experiment with combining the two positions when former City Administrator Tim Schuenke retired on July 15, after serving for four years as administrator.
Schuenke and Mayor Ed McAleer approached Hafner about the idea shortly after Schuenke announced at the beginning of 2012 his intentions to retire. The mayor and the Common Council indicated in June they would be willing to experiment with Hafner in both positions for six months.
If the experiment worked, Hafner would be hired for the new position. If the experiment failed, Hafner could remain as public works director, and the city would seek another administrator, said Mayor Ed McAleer.
McAleer and Common Council members believed that Hafner could provide them with an administrator with an engineering degree, who is familiar with the city's projects and politics and has demonstrated ability to get along with the Common Council and city residents.
In addition, McAleer and the council thought they could save as much as $100,000 a year in salary, benefits and support costs by combining the city administrator and public works director positions as well as reshuffling some other positions.
Marie Williams was elevated to city finance director so she could help Hafner prepare annual budgets and keep track of the city's fiscal health, a position she had held without the title for a number of years.
Public Works foremen Paul Zellner and Mike O'Brien will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Public Works Department.
Hafner, 42, is a Whitefish Bay Dominican High School and Marquette University graduate with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He and his wife, Maggie, live in Brookfield and are the parents of four children ranging in age from 8 to 16.
An avid marathon runner, Hafner was hired as the city's first full city engineer and public works director in 2003.
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