City Manager Negotiations Still Ongoing

The City of La Grange returned to the negotiating table with Jack Thompson, the lone finalist for the vacant city manager position.

The City Council voted unanimously to offer Thompson the job at a special meeting on Dec. 11. Thompson responded with a counteroffer. The Council met again in a closed executive session this Monday night, Jan. 8, to consider the counteroffer. The closed session lasted about 30 minutes. Upon reconvening into open session, the Council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor and staff to continue negotiations and finalize a contract with Thompson. When the Council began the job search last summer, they sent each candidate a questionnaire. The questionnaire stated that the salary range for the position would be $150,000 to $185,000 annually with “a great benefit package.” One of the questions asked the candidates if they had concerns agreeing to a salary in this range. Thompson answered: “I am currently making $171,000 and would need to be in the higher end of the range.”

Also at Monday’s meeting, La Grange citizen Theresa Von Rosenberg addressed the Council during the public comment period, as she does at almost every meeting. Von Rosenberg has been urging the City to improve stormwater drainage in her neighborhood.

“It’s not just my place – over there on the highway by the library, boy, that was a big puddle,” she said, referring to the water that collected on US 77 after the storm on Monday.

“If you fix the drainage, you’re helping everybody,” she said. She also spoke about the city manager position.

“Are we going to get a new city manager?” Von Rosenberg asked. “We don’t need one. Frank (Menefee) is doing a good job.”

Interim City Manager Frank Menefee had longserved as second in command at City Hall under former City Manager Shawn Raborn. Menefee took charge in an interim role following Raborn’s retirement in 2022. He resumed his role as assistant city manager when Fred Bell became the city manager last March. Bell lasted until August, when he and the City agreed to part ways. Since then, Menefee has again stepped up as the interim city manager.