Post last updated at 12:35 p.m. Saturday, June 6:
Lawrence city commissioners will hold a special meeting at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to vote on a contract with the new city manager, whose name will be announced at that time.
The contract includes an annual base salary of $330,491, near the maximum amount advertised for the job, plus an annual automobile allowance of $7,800, totaling $338,291.
The contract includes 160 hours — four weeks — of vacation leave that will be available to the city manager immediately, as well as 48 hours, or six days, of sick leave.
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“The Agreement includes a severance payment (if the City Manager is terminated without cause or if the Manager chooses to resign in lieu of being terminated) equal to 12 months of the annual base salary, 12 months of the deferred compensation contribution, and 12 months of the COBRA payment for the City Manager’s elected healthcare coverage,” according to the executive summary in the meeting agenda.
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“Other standard terms found in a City Manager’s contract including relocation expenses, a vehicle allowance, professional development, and retirement and other fringe benefits are also included,” the summary states.
None of the four finalist candidates currently live in Kansas, but a requirement listed in the job description is to relocate to Lawrence within six months of hire. The contract includes a one-time reimbursement of up to $50,000 for the move.
Here’s the full contract from the special meeting agenda:
20260609-City-manager-contract-correctedFormer City Manager Craig Owens announced in November that he would be leaving his position in May. He held the position for almost seven years after starting in the role on July 1, 2019. Casey Toomay has served as acting city manager in the interim.
The city contracted with Strategic Government Resources for a not-to-exceed price of $28,419 to help guide the city manager search, which began in January.
The advertised salary for the city manager position was $229,153 – $338,769, “depending on experience and qualifications,” according to a recruitment document created by SGR.
Owens’ gross pay in 2025, according to city salary data, was $278,221. The new city manager’s compensation represents a nearly 22% increase.
The four final candidates — Joe Fivas, Joseph (Joe) Lessard, Majed Al-Ghafry and Michael Kovacs — visited Lawrence for two days of interviews and a community meet-and-greet between Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21. On Friday, May 22, city commissioners made their final selection and directed staff to enter into negotiations with their top candidate.
Commissioners will meet at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 9 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., to vote on the agreement and announce the selected city manager.
Read more about the city manager hiring process in the articles at this link.
Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the executive summary in the meeting agenda listed an incorrect salary for the new city manager.
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