Fillmore council members voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept Rowlands’ contract.
Landeros said that at the meeting, Fillmore Mayor Rick Neal and Mayor Pro Tem Manual Minjares talked about how they visited Clayton and were impressed with Rowlands’ team-building philosophy.
“I am personally excited about getting Mr. Rowlands on board and getting to work for him,” Landeros said.
Once Rowlands takes the Fillmore position, his current salary of $119,000 will increase to $159,000 and he will manage a city of 16,000 residents compared to 13,000.
“Dave did a great job in Clayton. He helped shepherd the city through what could have been a tumultous time with the merger (of the Village of Clayton and Randolph Township in 1999),” said Mayor Joyce Deitering. “He helped get us on a sound financial footing. We will miss his leadership, but we certainly wish him well.”
“I’m really proud of the financial situation we’re in,” Rowlands said. “We have $3.7 million in our reserve funds. When I first got here I believe it was between $500,000 and $700,000.”
Rowlands also said he is proud he was around for the arrival of the Caterpillar Logistics Distribution Center. “We located a major company like that in our community. It helps us out and also the region by providing 600 jobs here locally at a time when jobs were needed,” he said.
Clayton’s Director of Public Safety Richard Rose will serve as interim city manager.
“We just thought for the interim period that he (Rose) was the appropriate choice since this is going to be a temporary position and we expect to fill the permanent position in early 2014,” Deitering said.
Rowlands started his career as an administrative assistant in Mason. He left that job in 1995 to be West Carrollton’s city manager before becoming the deputy city manager in Novato, Calif. in 1998. He was hired in Clayton in 2001.
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