NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The official approval of the contract for new Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas happened at the Hutchinson City Council meeting Tuesday.
"I'm incredibly honored and appreciative of your support and confidence in me to lead this organization," Villegas said. "Throughout this process, I've gotten to know you all fairly well, as well as staff and some of our community partners. I'm very excited to participate in advancing the city forward."
According to the contract as printed in the meeting agenda documents, Villegas will start in Hutchinson on May 29, 2024 and receive a bi-weekly base salary of $6,250 or $162,500 annually and a one time payment of $15,000 for relocation, housing, down payment assistance and related incidentals. He is required to move to Hutchinson within six months of his hire.
"My family and I are also very excited and eager to start the next chapter of our lives here in Hutch," Villegas said. "There's an incredible amount to do here, from family outings to the parks. It's just truly endless. There's a lot of excitement and we're really looking forward to starting."
The City also is going to contribute $6000 a year to the City's 457 plan on Villegas' behalf as deferred compensation.
He will also receive a $500 a month vehicle allowance to use his own vehicle for city business and a $100 a month cell phone allowance.
Villegas has three children with a fourth on the way. Interim City Manager Mary Grace Clements plans to stay and help for as long as Villegas wants her to, but she's already working on getting him in front of the community at large.
"We will set up some town hall meetings in June, depending on availability, in a couple different places," Clements said. "Council has many issues you have raised, as far as listening to, about different ordinances. We want to engage in a work study and talk to the community. We want to also introduce Enrico."
The goal is to get official onboarding for Villegas done the week after Memorial Day, so he can be settled in by the first week of June.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.