Palmer keeps city manager

PALMER -- Tom Healy will stay at the city's helm for at least another two years, and he'll get a $5,000 raise.

The Palmer City Council unanimously approved a new two-year contract with the city manager at its Sept. 23 meeting. The agreement increases his annual salary from $78,000 to $83,000 for both years, a 6.4 percent increase. The contract went into effect last week and expires Sept. 27, 2005.

With the exception of the pay increase, the agreement remains unchanged from Healy's prior contract. It still includes benefits such as vacation time, health insurance, retirement plan and the use of a vehicle. Per the agreement, should the city council want to terminate this contract prematurely, Healy would get three months' severance pay.

At this point that seems unlikely, however. At last week's meeting, the council indicated it is pleased with Healy's performance during the past four years.

"Personally, I think you've done a very good job," Councilman Tony Pippel said. Pippel backed this statement up with a motion to bump Healy's salary to $83,000 the first year, rather than splitting the 6-percent raise between the two years, as Healy had proposed. The council unanimously agreed.

"I think we're absolutely fortunate," Mayor Jim Cooper said after the meeting. He said city administrators are easy to come by, but Healy has risen to the task unusually well. As an example, he said the council came up with a list several years ago of items it would like to accomplish. There were 37 items, and the council's aim was to get through five. With Healy's direction, Cooper said, they were able to check off 20.

In addition, Cooper said many of the issues Healy dealt with in his prior job were very applicable to Palmer. Healy came to Palmer in 1999 from Haines, where he was the city manager. There, Cooper said, growth and the tourism industry were increasingly important issues, just as they are in Palmer.

When asked if he anticipated when he first arrived that he would stay in Palmer for as long as he has, Healy said, "I hoped to."

And if the relationship between the council and Healy continues as it has gone, 2005 might bring another contract renewal.

"I like this community," Healy said. "It's a good place to be."