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On July 27th, 2020 Eagle Mountain Staff announced that the current City Administrator had taken a new position and would be leaving his current position.
“Eagle Mountain, we’re losing a legend. Eagle Mountain City Administrator Ifo Pili has accepted a position as the city manager of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Mr. Pili has worked for Eagle Mountain City since 2006, when he was hired as a management intern, subsequently becoming an assistant city administrator. He has been city administrator since July of 2012. Details about the transition to a new city administrator will be forthcoming. Mr. Pili will remain with Eagle Mountain City up to early September.”The process was then set in motion that would fill the position and attempt to find a replacement for Ifo Pili. In short order, a contract was created and the Mayor suggested Paul Jerome for approval for the position. The item was then sent to the City Council on Aug 4th, 2020. 8 days after the announcement that Ifo was moving to New Mexico. The City Council approved the contract with a 2-4 vote. The motion by the City Council changed several items in the contract. The dissenting votes Donna Burnham and Jared Gray both wanted to make sure that Paul knew that they were not voting against him, but the changes that were made to the contract with the motion. Because of the type of vote, the Mayor was given a vote, if he would have voted nay, then the vote would have been 3-3 and the contract would not have been approved. There was some discussion from residents around the fact that the city hired from within and did not open the position to more applicants. This question was brought up by several of the City Council members during the Work Session. This caused some questions on the contract, but Paul’s experience and choice were never in question, the question was about the process and how involved the City Council was in that process and where the actual authority to appoint a new City Administrator fell. There was a lot of talk about a Succession plan during the discussion. I asked the City Recorder and Mayor if there was an official written plan. Fionnuala B Kofoed the City Recorder responded to my email with this statement, “Lastly, while the City doesn’t have a written policy regarding succession planning, it is the policy to give first consideration to current employees desiring to fill an open job position. If there are no qualified, internal applicants, the job will be posted externally.” After the vote, the City made the official announcement.
Paul Jerome has been appointed by Mayor Westmoreland and approved by the city council as Eagle Mountain City’s new city administrator. Mr. Jerome has been with the city for 13 years, previously as the assistant city administrator and finance director. He brings valuable experience to the position and we look forward to continuing to build upon the success of Eagle Mountain under his leadership. Ifo Pili, the city’s previous city administrator, resigned to accept a position as city manager of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Look for an interview with Mr. Jerome in the next issue of The Eagle’s View newsletter.As I mentioned, the contract has been changed by the motion, but the original contract can be found here. Here are some of the details of the contract.
Mr. Jerome will be paid salary compensation in the amount of $126,892.00 annually. A salary review will be completed after one year. Mr. Jerome shall be entitled to participate in City employee benefit plans including long-term sick leave and PTO.Ifo made comments during the meeting that Paul is qualified for the position and he does not have any hesitation leaving knowing that Paul will take his place. Ifo will be given some time during the next City Council meeting to say his good-byes to the city and comment about his time in Eagle Mountain. If you don’t want to wait for the city newsletter, you can read an interview we did with Paul Jerome on cedarvalleysentinel.com. Paul has lived in Eagle Mountain for 19 years.
- Mr. Jerome shall receive family coverage for dental and vision insurance as well as the standard offered Family Life Insurance plan.
- Mr. Jerome shall also be eligible for the City disability insurance plan and the long-term insurance care plan.
- The City shall pay the Utah Retirement System’s contribution as allowed and approved from time to time into the Utah Retirement System Pension Plan.
- The City will also pay up to 6.2% of the annual gross salary into a qualified 401-k, 457 or IRA plan through the Utah Retirement System.
- The City will pay dues on behalf of Mr. Jerome to professional organizations that will benefit the City, such as the International City Manager’s Association.
- Mr. Jerome shall use his personal vehicle for City business and shall be paid a monthly car allowance of $500.00 per month.
- Mr. Jerome may receive permission for unusual circumstances to use a City vehicle
Here are a couple of the questions asked and his answers from that interview. (Interview With Paul Jerome: Eagle Mountain Assistant City Administrator and Finance Director)“I truly and sincerely believe that we have the most amazing residents in the state! There are so many examples of how the residents of this city have made it the great place that it is and I hope that we continue to have residents who take ownership of this city and keep it great!”
Can you give us a short summary of your professional experience, and what brought you to Eagle Mountain.
Answer: “My wife and I moved from an apartment in Salt Lake City into a home in Eagle Mountain in early 2001. I joke around that I work for Eagle Mountain because one of the city wells went down in 2007! In August of 2007, the pump at one of the City’s wells went down and consequently, the city was put on water restrictions and posted on the City website when and how long you could water your yard. It was upon me checking the website to find out my neighborhood’s watering times that I noticed the posting for a Senior Accountant position. I applied for the job and got it! Before working for Eagle Mountain, I worked for KUTV Channel 2 as their News Business Manager and Accounting Manager for four years and then for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Senior Accountant and Accounts Payable Manager for almost two years. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Utah and a Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University.” Did anyone else notice that? I had to do a followup question. Which team do you cheer for, BYU or Utah? “Now you are going to get me in trouble!!! In full disclosure, my wife and I have purchased 3 BYU Football Season Tickets the past few years up in the nose bleed section (2nd to last row from the top of the stadium as that is about as affordable as it gets). We have three kids, so each kid gets to go to 2 games per year (my wife and I get to go to all 6). But when Utah comes to Lavell Edwards Stadium, I wear red! I tell people that every year I hope BYU goes 11-1 and Utah goes 12-0. But basically, since they are both my alma maters, I feel like I have earned the right to root for whichever I feel like! True diehards tell me that this is impossible, but I make it work!”I know you have a fascination with the history of Eagle Mountain. What is one of the most interesting things you have heard about Eagle Mountains history?
Answer: “There is so much history that took place here – and for thousands of years no less! From a railroad that used to go out to the Tintic Mining District, petroglyphs dating back to the archaic period and having an added Pony Express Station near Hidden Hollow Elementary, there is so much to learn about the history of this area! One of my favorite stories is that of Porter Rockwell chasing an outlaw to Joe’s Dugout. The legend goes that the outlaw ran into Joe Dorton’s little house at Joe’s Dugout. Rockwell went to the door and was met by the outlaw with his pistol pointed at Rockwell’s chest and emptied all six cylinders into Rockwell. A companion with Rockwell stated that the fire and smoke from the pistol went right though Rockwell, but he was left unharmed. Alarmed by this, the outlaw threw down his pistol and ran up a nearby hillside. Rockwell sauntered over to his wagon, got a rifle and shot and killed the outlaw and deposited his body in the dry well nearby. I don’t know if any of that story is true, but it is still fun to tell!” Paul is a good fit for this position and will bring years of experience and will help Eagle Mountain grow in a positive direction.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.