By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Red Bank, Tenn. will come close to matching Randy Hemann’s salary at Downtown Salisbury Inc., Mayor Monty Millard said.
The city and Hemann are “closer to a deal than we were before,” Millard said.
The Red Bank Commission hopes to negotiate the city manager’s job with Hemann in person after Christmas, Millard said. Members voted unanimously this week to offer the position to Hemann, who has served as executive director for Downtown Salisbury since 1997.
A survey Friday morning of commissioners showed the majority were willing to pay Hemann more than the initial $75,000 salary they set for the job, Millard said.
Millard said Hemann told him he makes $87,000 in Salisbury.
“He has gotten a substantial raise since interviewing with us on Nov. 30,” Millard said. “We offered to pay him in that salary range.”
Millard said he’s requested verification of Hemann’s current salary.
According to Downtown Salisbury’s 2009-2010 tax records, Hemann was paid $78,200, along with $3,900 in additional compensation.
Hemann recently landed a $12,000 raise from Downtown Salisbury Inc. Both Hemann and Mark Lewis, vice president of the downtown board of directors, said the raise was awarded before Hemann’s pursuit of the Red Bank job.
Lewis said Downtown Salisbury is “making every effort to keep him.”
One Red Bank city commissioner will resign Monday to move to Alaska, Millard said, and it’s not clear how that might affect negotiations.
Hemann did not immediately return a phone call from the Post.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.