John Pombier speaks at an August meet-and-greet at City Hall’s Vision Gallery with Assistant City Manager Tadd Willie on his right. The Chandler City Council voted, 6-1, to award Pombier a 19-month, $360,000-per-year contract that will remove the “Acting” label and make him the next permanent city manager.
Independent Newsmedia file image
Pombier’s $360,000 annual salary ranks fourth among Valley city managers, based on most recent annual data, behind the managers of Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tempe. Mesa City Manager Christopher J. Brady made $350,000 in the most recent year reported and would have been the 11th-highest paid municipal employee in the Valley.
Chandler’s City Council seemed poised to embark on a lengthy, expensive city manager search until Nov. 21.
Three days later, Council had abandoned that inclination and had decided its interim leader was the one to stick with — and to save taxpayers at least $50,000.
Council approved, by a 6-1 vote, awarding a $360,000 annual contract to John Pombier. Running through June 30, 2027, the contract gives Pombier the title of city manager, removing the “acting city manager” title he’s held since he started with the city July 13.
Council member Angel Encinas was the lone “no” vote on the contract, explaining his vote was a protest of the process, rather than a vote against Pombier as a manager.
The vote and mayor and council’s explanations for their votes were the lone items handled at the 25-minute Nov. 24 special meeting, held in Council chambers after a lengthy afternoon executive session about a pending court case.
Pombier was initially to be offered — according to a contract attached to a meeting agenda published late on the afternoon of Nov. 21 — an annual salary of $375,000, which is exactly what his predecessor, Josh Wright, was set to make in the final year of his most-recent contract, had he not decided in May to take an administrative position at the University of Arizona.
Encinas said, at the special meeting, he wanted to stay true to what he said was a promise to a constituents to have a transparent, nationwide search.
“I have been very clear about honoring my commitment to the city’s tradition, our established processes and the history that guides how we select city managers in the past,” Encinas said. “I said here in June that I would proceed with a nationwide recruitment process for Chandler’s future leadership — one that would be competitive, and that our residents, employees and community partners would be part of.”
Pombier’s appointment as acting city manager in June was met with concern about transparency from at least one council member, Jennifer Hawkins, including why his appointment was initially discussed in an executive session.
No other candidates for acting or permanent city manager were mentioned on any meeting documents.
Hawkins explained Nov. 24 why she voted yes on Pombier’s contract. She had been the lone dissenter in a late-June, 6-1 decision to appoint Pombier as acting city manager.
“I had initial concerns that led to my vote,” Hawkins said. “But I shared with John that I would support him, because when he succeeds, Chandler succeeds. Over the past three and a half months, with input from residents, employees and business owners, one message has been consistent: John Pombier has earned the confidence and trust of the community.”
Hawkins also said it wouldn’t be fiscally responsible to spend at least $39,500 with a firm named Mosaic, which recently submitted a bid for that amount to the city as its base charge for a national search for a city manager.
Council members Matt Orlando and Jane Poston both said they were voting on a candidate, not a process. Both expressed regrets about ending up announcing a huge Monday decision at about 3 p.m. on the prior Friday, saying that sort of short-notice seems avoidable.
Mayor Kevin Hartke said even with council having a well-liked, talented, capable Pombier to hire, there still should be examination of its executive hiring processes going forward.
“I told the acting city manager several times that I don’t like how we got here, but I’m glad we got here,” Hartke said.
The mayor also pointed out there was never a movement among council members for Pombier to not be the next permanent city manager.
The only Council member who defended the process was O.D. Harris.
“It was a good process per our charter,” Harris said. “John has been under evaluation over the past four months and how he works with our staff. So it’s a smart decision, both in terms of our own integrity and the interest of the taxpayers.”
Chandler Chamber of Commerce Director Terri Kimble spoke at a Nov. 10 work session about a city manager search, offering several positive comments about how well Pombier has done as acting city manager. Two residents did the same at the Nov. 24 meeting.
In addition to reducing the annual salary from $375,000 to $360,000, the other late change to Pombier’s contract is a $10,000 signing bonus, along with giving him six months to move within city limits, consistent with the city charter.
Pombier’s contract calls for him, in the event council wants to dismiss him, to choose between two packages, one with nine-months’ salary in a lump sum, or one with up to 12 months’ ongoing salary and benefits, to end if retirement or a new full-time job and health care benefits start.
Pombier joined the city team after having worked for Amazon for a time as a “senior manager community engagement consultant.”
He’s mainly known to Chandler leaders as a 19-year employee of the city of Mesa, the last 11 as an assistant city manager, overseeing everything from courts, fire and police to environmental management and sustainability, fleet services, innovation and technology, human resources and public information.
Pombier, who has a law degree from Arizona State University, also worked as Mesa’s city prosecutor for eight years.
Voters ended up approving everything on Chandler ballots Nov. 4, including a $475 million bond and a charter amendment that allows a city manager appointee and the council to negotiate together on a severance provision in a contract.
Pombier’s $360,000 annual salary ranks fourth among Valley city managers, based on most recent yearly data, behind the managers of Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tempe. Mesa City Manager Christopher J. Brady made $350,000 in the most recent year reported.
Pombier’s salary also would have made him the 11th-highest paid municipal employee in the Valley.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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