After two decades of high turnover, Mendota Heights leaders think they've found a city administrator who will stay.
Mark McNeill, who held the same position in Shakopee for nearly two decades, is expected to start on the job Feb. 23, pending City Council approval.
Mendota Heights Mayor Sandra Krebsbach said she's hopeful that McNeill will remain in the position for five or 10 years, breaking a pattern of younger administrators who've stayed for just a few years before moving on to another job.
"This time, we were looking for somebody that we knew was probably not going to be using us as a steppingstone," she said.
Mendota Heights lost two administrators in the past five years to the cities of Farmington and Lakeville. Others have left for jobs both around the metro area and out of state.
"We have been really a training ground for … administrators," Krebsbach said. "And we've been OK with that, but it's hard on staff."
McNeill left Shakopee in December, after the City Council requested his resignation. The decision split the council, with McNeill supporters saying it happened too quickly and opponents contending that a new vision for the growing city required new leadership.
City administrators and managers are appointed by the councils they serve and are responsible for overseeing day-to-day city operations.
