Herculaneum Mayor Ryan Wright cast the tie-breaking fourth vote on April 1 to hire Dusty Hosna to be the town’s next city administrator.
Board of Aldermen members Chris Baker and Norm Seithel, both of Ward 2, and Israel Clayman of Ward 3 also voted to hire Hosna.
Ward 1 aldermen Mike Burlage and Dennis Tesreau and Ward 3’s Edwin Edwards Jr. voted against the hire.
It was the second time Wright, who had recommended Hosna for the job, asked the board to vote to give Hosna the job.
The first vote, on March 4, was deadlocked in a 3-3 tie, and Wright did not vote to break it because the city attorney advised him that he wasn’t allowed to.
After that meeting, however, Wright learned he could have voted, so he planned on March 18 to again ask for board approval to hire Hosna, but Burlage and Edwards were absent, so the issue was tabled.
After Hosna was hired on April 1, he started the job the next day, replacing previous City Administrator Jim Kasten, who retired on March 26 after 16 years in the role.
Hosna, 38, will be paid a $90,000 annual salary. Kasten was earning $82,000 per year when he left.
Wright said Herculaneum received applications from between 20 and 25 people for the job, and he narrowed the field to six applicants for interviews in front of a six-member selection committee that included Wright, Kasten, one alderman from each of the city’s three wards and a member of the city’s employee review board.
Wright said Hosna was the committee’s highest ranked candidate after the first round of interviews, and the top three candidates went in front of the full Board of Aldermen for another round of interviews.
Typically for that type of job, applicants would interview in front of the city’s employee review board, but Wright said he had not appointed anyone to that employee review board, so he wanted to create his own selection committee that included aldermen.
“That board hadn’t been used in years. And, I didn’t know anybody on that board, and I wanted to bring people from the actual Board of Alderman on my selection committee.
“At the end of the day, the Board of Aldermen has the final say.”
Those who voted against hiring Hosna said they believed another candidate was better qualified.
Wright, on the other hand, said he believes Hosna was better suited for the job because he has more than 10 years of experience in municipal government work and has been an assistant to the city administrator in north St. Louis County, a city clerk for Brentwood and a city administrator for Valley Park before his most recent job as the economic development director for the Village of Fox Lake, Ill.
Hosna said he studied public policy at the University of Illinois in Springfield but did not obtain a degree. He said he also has taken several courses in economic development through the University of Missouri-St. Louis and through the International Code Council and is working on receiving his American Institute of Certified Planners certification.
Some of Hosna’s duties will include overseeing the city’s daily activities; serving as chief liaison to the mayor and council; preparing agenda and materials for Board of Aldermen meetings; overseeing the city’s economic development activities and promoting the city to future developers; assuming budget responsibility for all city departments; handling all public relations for the city; overseeing the bidding process and contracts for all city projects; overseeing all personnel functions for the city, including hiring and firing and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal law.
Hosna lives in Dupo, Ill., with his wife, Brittni, and two children, Emma, 5, and Stanley, 4.
He said he’s excited to get to know Herculaneum.
“I would say the thing that stuck out about Herculaneum is its location right off the highway,” he said. “It’s a mix of business and residential and has the potential for development in the future.”
Hosna said he is a certified drone pilot and plans to use his drone to take videos of the city.
“I’m working with the park superintendent who does our social media, and we definitely plan, as things start to bloom and look great, to really show everyone how beautiful Herculaneum is.”
Hosna said he wants to be involved in the community and expects to participate in park cleanup days and the upcoming Arbor Day celebration, which is set for 10 a.m. on April 25 at Herculaneum City Park.
“I truly am very approachable and easy to talk to, and if anybody wants to come up to City Hall and talk, I’m always available,” Hosna said.