Four Galesburg City Council members have called a special meeting for Monday to discuss the “employment or possible removal” of City Manager Gerald Smith.
Council members Heather Acerra, Wayne Dennis, Bradley Hix and Evan Miller called the special meeting, set for 5 p.m. Monday in City Hall Council chambers. Among the items on the agenda is the “discussion and potential action related to the appointment, employment or removal of the City Manager.”
“It’s time to look into his actions since he’s been here,” Hix said when reached Friday afternoon. “It’s just kind of a culmination of things.”
Hix specifically pointed to two issues the has with Smith.
“We just got a ruling from the Illinois Attorney General that showed they violated the Open Meetings Act, and 95% of that meeting was (Smith),” Hix said.
“You also have an email that he sent in December that was providing the mayor with political advice, using city resources.”
Hix added, “Quite honestly, there are things that have happened under his watch that Council needs to have a conversation about.”
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Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman was surprised to learn of the call of the special meeting.
In an email response to WGIL, Schwartzman said, “I have received no questions about the city manager from the Council in the past month. I did not know about this special meeting until it was posted.
“Monday’s meeting has an executive session after the conclusion of the regular meeting to discuss among other things, the city manager’s 6-month evaluation. I have prepared a draft copy of that and was intending to discuss it with the Council at that time.
“I didn’t call this meeting so I do not have information regarding the other ordinance.”
Smith replaced Todd Thompson as Galesburg Manager on Nov. 7, 2022. The total salary and benefit package offered to Smith was about $171,000 compared with Thompson at $179,000 when he left.
Also listed on Monday’s special meeting agenda is discussion and potential action to approve an ordinance authorizing the City Council to retain Independent Legislative Counsel. The Council would then convene into closed door executive session for the purpose of “discussing the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body.”
