Mike Ellis no longer has ‘interim’ in title of Rocky Top city manager
Stacy Phillips appointed to City Council seat
Rocky Top City Recorder Peggy Watson, right, swears in newly appointed Councilwom- an Stacy Phillips during last Thursday’s City Council meeting. Looking on, from left, are Mayor Kerry Templin, Councilman Zack Green, and City Manager Mike Ellis. (photo:G Chambers Williams III )
Ellis, a former Anderson County High School teacher and girls’ basketball coach, and former Anderson County road superintendent, was appointed in March to serve as the interim city manager as of April 1, taking over from Michael Foster.
Also during last week’s meeting, lifelong Rocky Top resident Stacy Phillips was appointed by Mayor Templin and approved by the council to take the former council seat held by Richard Dawson, who resigned in April.
The city manager job advertisement listed the salary for the position at $60,000 a year. It made no mention of benefits or a car allowance. Foster was receiving medical and retirement benefits, plus a $5,000 a month car allowance.
According to the job posting, the qualifying candidate must live “within five miles of the Rocky Top community.”
That was a new requirement, as Foster lived in Clinton during his nearly seven years in the position.
Ellis lives within less than three miles of the city.
“Minimum qualifications” for the job were listed as “a bachelor’s degree in business administration, political science, public administration, or closely related subject area; knowledge of general municipal government operations.
“Experience in government administration and accounting software used by local government agencies is preferred.”
Ten-plus years of experience “will be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree,” the posting also notes.
It also said that “No relocation expenses will be considered.”
According to his resume, Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lincoln Memorial University and a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Tennessee Tech University.
Under the council’s action last week, Ellis will be considered a regular city employee, so he would qualify for any benefits that are available to other city workers, including leave, insurance and retirement.
Foster resigned effective March 31, and has since taken a job with the University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service, or MTAS, which provides consulting services to municipal governments across the state.
During its April meeting, the council voted to advertise for and take applications from candidates for the city manager’s job.
In last week’s regular May council meeting, Mayor Kerry Templin said the city had received four applications for the position, but that no interviews were scheduled, and he was instead recommending that Ellis be hired.
Councilman Jeff Gilliam made the motion to hire Ellis, and Councilman Mack Bunch seconded the motion.
During the discussion, Councilman Zack Green said he believed that one of the other candidates, Matthew Marshall, was more qualified, and suggested that he should “at least be interviewed” before the council made its decision.
Marshall is a former Norris city manager who holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Tennessee.
Also applying for the position was Joshua Anderson, who is chairman of the Anderson County Commission, and Phillip Robinette of Maryville, who also has city manager experience.
The council declined to delay the appointment of Ellis, approving the motion to hire him with Green’s being the only “no” vote.
Foster turned in his resignation to the council during the February meeting. He had served in the position since 2016 when the city charter was changed to a city manager form of municipal government.
As interim manager, under contract terms approved by the March 2 resolution, Ellis was being paid on the basis of $55,000 per year plus a “standard benefits package.”
The duration of his employment as interim manager was to six months initially, or “until a permanent city manager is hired.”
Phillips was recommended for the open council seat by Mayor Templin, who said Monday that he had reached out to her to see if she would be interested in serving.
After voting to accept Dawson’s resignation Thursday night, the council voted 4-0 to appoint Phillips to Dawson’s seat, which will come up for re-election in fall 2024.
Dawson had just been appointed to the seat in November by the former mayor and council, to fill the unexpired term of Vice Mayor and Councilman Justin Job, who resigned in October because he was moving out of the city.
Phillips, 51, said she works for Nuclear Care Partners in Oak Ridge.
She has been a regular attendee at City Council meetings recently, and has a family history of involvement in Rocky Top/Lake City government.
“My dad (Anthony Byrge) and grandmother (Louise Byrge) were on the council,” she said. “My cousin is [former Mayor] Tim Sharp, and Ronald Carter, my cousin, and Pete Houck, my great uncle, were both mayors.”
Phillips said Monday that she isn’t sure yet whether she will run for the council position when it comes up next year.
“I will see how this goes,” she said. “I do have a full-time job.”