One year into his gig as Charlottesville City Manager, Maurice Jones will bulk up his office with two new hires that could combine for as much as $250,000 in annual salary. The positions—Assistant City Manager, and Director of Economic Development—were advertised recently, and may see hires before the year’s end.
"The goal is to move quickly," said Galloway Beck, Charlottesville’s Human Resources Director. With regards to the economic development position, Beck said that Jones’ office would "certainly hope [to make a hire] before the end of the year."
The search for an Economic Development Director nabbed 65 applicants from around the country—a size and scale that Beck called "not unusual" for such a position. Jones, who was not immediately available to comment, will select candidates for interviews.
That gig is currently held by Aubrey Watts, also the city’s Chief Operating Officer (and, as C-VILLE wrote this year, one of our most powerful figures). Asked whether Watts was stepping down, an employee of the City Manager’s office remarked that Watts would simply focus on his COO duties.
The Economic Development Director would oversee "the the continued economic vitality provided by the Downtown Mall and other planned projects, such as the Martha Jefferson site, Water Street Lots, West Main Street, and Coca-Cola sites." The Assistant City Manager fills Jones’ shows in case of his absence, acts as the manager’s policy advisor and provides critical information to City Councilors. The job postings are here and here, respectively.