Kay appointed city manager
Published 1:12 am Wednesday, May 4, 2011
JOSHUA L. KAY
Joshua L. Kay becomes Washington’s next city manager Aug. 1.
During its meeting Monday, the Washington City Council appointed Kay as city manager at an annual salary of $108,000. Kay is city manager of Clinton, S.C. At its meeting Monday, the Clinton City Council accepted Kay’s resignation effective June 10, according to Larry Franklin, publisher of The Clinton Chronicle.
“He’s done a good job for us,” Franklin said in a brief telephone interview Tuesday. “He’s very mature.”
“Josh has a tremendous level of experience for someone his age,” Washington Mayor Archie Jennings said Tuesday morning, but Jennings did not know Kay’s exact age. “He’s in his 30s. … You know we can’t ask that question (of applicants).”
Franklin said Kay had been in line for several city manager positions in previous years, but Kay felt he did not have the experience needed for such a position. That changed within recent years, Franklin said.
“He’s really improved the city’s finances,” Franklin said. “One of the things he likes to do is economic development.”
Those factors made Kay attractive to the Washington council, Jennings noted.
“He’s got such a strong record around economic development,” Jennings said.
Kay made another specific impression on the council, Jennings said.
“He demonstrated a leadership awareness that will benefit our organization. … He should be able to take Washington to the next level of public service,” Jennings said.
Washington Mayor Pro Tempore Bobby Roberson said Kay’s education and experience with enterprise funds set him apart from other applications.
“He definitely has those qualifications,” Roberson said Tuesday.
Roberson said Kay did well in his interview with the council and mayor.
“He was specific about his answers,” Roberson said. “They were well thought out.”
Clinton Mayor Randy Randall had high praise for Kay.
“You’re getting … a good man,” Randall said Tuesday morning.
The mayor singled out Kay’s economic-development experience as something Washington likely will benefit from in the future.
“Josh has been a very important part of our strategic planning,” Randall said, adding that he worked with Kay and others to align Clinton with regional economic-development groups.
“With Josh’s leadership, we’ve done several things to put us in a good position when this economy turns around,” Randall said.
Kay said he applied for the position in Washington “because of all that assets that Washington has.” Kay said he was impressed with the quality of life Washington offers, and he specifically mentioned the city’s waterfront as something that appeals to him and his wife, Lauren, who’s originally from Wilmington.
Asked to name the one thing that impressed him most on his first visit to Washington, Kay said it was the “friendliness” of the city’s residents.
“We were driving down the street and people waved at us,” he said Tuesday. “I told the mayor and council that’s a great sign.”
Asked what attributes he will bring to the job, Kay cited his communication skills, saying he believes he will be able to effectively communicate with the mayor, council and city employees. Kay said he believes he can facilitate communication between the city and its residents.
Kay also cited “strategic planning and visioning” as assets he brings to the city.
Clinton is a public-power community like Washington. The city’s population is about 10,000. Clinton, located in Laurens County, is part of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley metropolitan statistical area.
Kay was hired as Clinton’s assistant city manager in July 2005. He was appointed city manager in November 2007.
Employment terms
The employment agreement between the city and Kay calls for him to work as city manager until July 31, 2013. If the council terminates Kay before the employment agreement expires, the city would pay Kay a lump-sum payment equal to six months’ aggregate salary, benefits and deferred compensation. Kay would be compensated for all earned and unused vacation time up to 240 hours and holidays.
The city is not obligated to pay those sums if Kay is terminated because of misconduct involving an act of moral turpitude, criminal illegality (except minor traffic offenses) or habitual violations of traffic laws, whether related or not related to Kay’s official duties.
The agreement requires Kay to live in Washington and establish residence in the city within 12 months of beginning his job with the city. The city will pay Kay’s expenses to relocate to Washington. The city will pay Kay a car allowance of $400 a month. If Kay uses his personal vehicle to travel beyond 150 miles of the city, he will be reimbursed for mileage traveled outside the 150-mile radius in accordance with the city’s travel policy.
The city will make required premium payments for insurance policies for life, major medical, long-term disability and other group insurance for Kay. The insurance provided will be the same as provided to city employees. The benefit of the long-term disability coverage is $5,040 a month.
A graduate of Clinton High School and Presbyterian College, Kay holds a bachelor-of-science degree from Presbyterian College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina.
Kay and his wife have two daughters, Gracen and Caroline.
About Mike Voss
Mike Voss is the contributing editor at the Washington Daily News. He has a daughter and four grandchildren. Except for nearly six years he worked at the Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., in the early to mid-1990s, he has been at the Daily News since April 1986.
Journalism awards:
• Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service, 1990.
• Society of Professional Journalists: Sigma Delta Chi Award, Bronze Medallion.
• Associated Press Managing Editors’ Public Service Award.
• Investigative Reporters & Editors’ Award.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Public Service Award, 1989.
• North Carolina Press Association, Second Place, Investigative Reporting, 1990.
All those were for the articles he and Betty Gray wrote about the city’s contaminated water system in 1989-1990.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Investigative Reporting, 1991.
• North Carolina Press Association, Third Place, General News Reporting, 2005.
• North Carolina Press Association, Second Place, Lighter Columns, 2006.
Recently learned he will receive another award.
• North Carolina Press Association, First Place, Lighter Columns, 2010.
4. Lectured at or served on seminar panels at journalism schools at UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Maryland, Columbia University, Mary Washington University and Francis Marion University.
More by Mike
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