Benjamin DeClue, who took over his duties as the Festus city administrator June 29, said his initial order of business is to educate himself on his new surroundings.
He replaced Greg Camp, who left the job Feb. 20 for a similar position in Silverthorne, Colo.
DeClue, at the end of his first work day in Festus government and before a special meeting of the City Council that evening, said he had a quiet, but productive, start to his job.
“It’s been great,” said DeClue, 45. “Everybody’s been very welcoming. Any time you start a big job like this, it’s sort of like drinking from a firehose. There’s a ton of information that comes your way. I started meeting with various members of staff and elected officials today, and I’m going to continue to do that, frankly, for the next couple of weeks, and that’s going to occupy quite a bit of my time over the next two or three weeks.”
He said he intends to continue gathering information for the immediate future.
“I think most of my goals for the first 100 days are to do a lot of listening and a lot of learning,” he said. “Obviously, I’d mentioned meeting with all of our staff, meeting with our elected officials, our appointed officials. I’d like to get to know business owners in the community. You know, Festus Main Street (Association) is a strong organization. I’m looking forward to engaging with them.
“Lot of learning. I’ve got a stack of our financial reports right here that I’ve been given as sort of take-home assignments, and this will take me a bit of time to get through. I’m sure (the reports) will generate more questions from me to our staff, and we’ll begin to develop those relationships that hopefully will provide success. I think we’ll be amazed how fast these first three months go by.”
DeClue grew up in Crystal City and was on the Crystal City Council from 2005-2009. He also served as an administrative intern in Crystal City and Festus.
DeClue comes to Festus after serving as the New Baden (Ill.) village administrator since December 2025. He has worked in government administration at several other spots over the years, including stints as interim city administrator both at Lebanon and at the city of Ozark, as well as city administrator at Glendale.
The Festus City Council voted 7-0 on April 30 to hire DeClue at a first-year salary of $160,000, plus a yearly vehicle allowance of $4,800. At New Baden, his salary was $85,000, with no vehicle allowance.
“I think the city’s major need is to have somebody back at the administrator’s desk to provide clear direction and guidance to the different department heads and to begin advancing the different programs that we’ve budgeted for, and evaluating whether they’re still relevant,” DeClue said. “I don’t come in here with any preconceived notions or ideas other than I believe we’ve got a great staff here.
“We’ve got a phenomenal staff. I really want to take my time and get to know everybody and learn about our budget process. I think we kick that off next week, internally with staff, so we’ll be taking a look at that and making sure we’re making sound decisions for the future.”
As to the proposed CRG data center development project – the topic that has dominated Festus politics since last fall – DeClue said it is his duty to follow the direction of elected officials.
“I mean, it’s my first day. I’m still getting up to speed on the exact condition of that project and where that’s going,” he said. “As I always say, I work for the council. If they say we’re doing this, I’m going to do everything I can to make it the best project possible. If they say we’ve changed our mind, then I’m going to do everything I can to put a stop to it, and we’re going to go a different direction.”
DeClue said he is impressed with what has been done with downtown Festus.
“It’s a true destination now,” he said. “I certainly remember there was no coming down to Main Street at night. If you went, you went for Petit Paree and that was really the only thing open on the entirety of that Main Street strip. Now, it feels active, and it feels like a community again.
“That’s kind of how it was when I was a kid. I remember it being active. Then, it really seemed to just (slow down). It’s a renaissance, Main Street. It’s awesome to see. You can’t buy a historic Main Street like that. There’s still just a ton of history down there.”
DeClue and his wife, Sandy Shore, live in St. Louis. As part of DeClue’s employment agreement with Festus, the council agreed to waive a municipal residency requirement for the city administrator position so the couple could stay in their current home and not affect her commute to work. She is the airport director for St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights (Ill.).
“I really can’t stress how welcoming everybody’s been,” DeClue said. “Obviously, I want to do the very best job I can, but I’m also cognizant this is a big organization with a lot going on. I’m here to see it be successful. So, I’m going to do everything I can to advance things.”