Council sets $130,000-$145,000 salary range for next city administrator

The Rhinelander Common Council voted Aug. 10 to set a salary range of $130,000 to $145,000 for the city’s next city administrator, clearing the way for the position to be formally posted, following the July resignation of former administrator Patrick Reagan.
The council is working with Innovative Public Advisors (IPA), the executive search firm hired to lead the recruitment process. Jess Wildes of IPA told council members the firm had not yet posted the position and wanted council feedback and a formal blessing on both the recruitment materials and the pay range before doing so. Wildes walked the council through results from a position assessment survey completed so far by nine respondents, including roughly three council members. She said the responses showed strong, consistent agreement on the qualities and priorities the city should look for in its next administrator, with budget development and management, internal and external communication, and staff management and leadership ranking at the top. Economic development and negotiation skills also ranked highly, along with personal qualities like accountability, trustworthiness and integrity.
Based on that feedback, Wildes said the city is likely looking for a candidate with prior experience as a city or village administrator elsewhere — not someone brand new to the role, but also not necessarily a candidate with decades of experience. Mayor Kris Hanus agreed with that assessment, saying Rhinelander’s size and the scope of city operations would be difficult for a first-time administrator to take on without prior experience “with boots on the ground, so they’re not walking in with a huge learning curve of the job as well as the community.”
Council member Carrie Mikalauski said the recruitment materials “highlight Rhinelander individually” well compared to similar communities and asked when the position would be posted. Wildes said the goal was to post the position the following day, Aug. 11 — pending council’s sign-off on the salary range that night.
Setting the salary range

City staff told council members that IPA’s recommended range of $130,000 to $145,000 is higher than what the city has budgeted for the remainder of 2026, since the position has been vacant and unbudgeted at that level for roughly three years. Staff said that’s part of why they brought the range back to council for approval before posting — to confirm elected officials were comfortable funding the position at that level, with the understanding that a hire arriving as soon as November or December would carry a budget impact yet to be addressed for the current year, with adjustments possible going into the 2027 budget.
Mikalauski said comparable salary data showed Rhinelander significantly behind similar-sized communities. “I think we’re the lowest on all of them, even on the small cities,” she said, adding that with inflation factored in, the proposed range seemed reasonable. “Obviously, in order to get a good candidate, we’re going to have to pay for it. That’s just the way it is.”
Wildes said her firm typically recommends a tighter salary band — often $10,000 to $20,000 — rather than a wide range, to avoid attracting an overly broad pool of candidates. She cited two recent comparable searches: Clintonville, where a $120,000-$140,000 range yielded a hire at $135,000, and Antigo, where a $145,000-$160,000 range for a first-time administrator resulted in a $148,000 hire. She noted that whatever range the council approves, members should be comfortable offering a candidate at the top of that range if warranted, and said actual compensation — including items like vacation time — would still be subject to negotiation once a finalist is chosen.
Council member Luke Kramer asked whether a $15,000 spread was typical; Wildes confirmed it was consistent with the firm’s usual approach.
Mikalauski made a motion to approve the $130,000-$145,000 range. The motion passed on a roll call vote with no recorded discussion or opposition.
Recruitment timeline
With the salary range approved, IPA laid out a tentative recruitment schedule:
Aug. 11: Position posted
Sept. 11: First review of applications (roughly a four-week active recruitment window)
Sept. 14: Tentative closed-session council meeting to review applicants and narrow the field, pending council availability
Sept. 23: Tentative special meeting for in-person candidate interviews, roughly 4-8 p.m.
Oct. 5: Potential appointment date, tied to a regularly scheduled council meeting
IPA said it would remain in contact with the mayor, city staff and interim administrator Adam Gitter throughout the process. No formal action was taken on the proposed timeline dates beyond the discussion; council members indicated general agreement with the Sept. 14 date working with their schedules.
The position, as posted
The recruitment packet describes Rhinelander as a community of about 8,000 residents and the Oneida County seat, calling it “the economic, healthcare, educational, and governmental center for the region” and pointing to the city’s manufacturing, healthcare, tourism, education, retail and small-business base. The materials promote the city’s natural surroundings, outdoor recreation access, downtown business district and community amenities as draws for prospective candidates, directing interested applicants to rhinelanderwi.us to learn more.
As chief administrative officer, the city administrator will report jointly to the mayor and Common Council and is described in the position profile as responsible for “the effective management of day-to-day municipal operations and the implementation of policies established by the Mayor and Common Council.” The role’s listed key responsibilities include:
Advising the mayor and council and implementing adopted policies and strategic priorities
Directing and coordinating all city departments and promoting organizational effectiveness
Preparing and administering the city’s annual operating and capital budgets and monitoring financial performance
Overseeing personnel administration, organizational development and labor relations
Promoting economic development through collaboration with area businesses, regional organizations and state and local partners
Identifying and pursuing grant funding and other outside resources for city priorities
Serving as the city’s public information officer and promoting transparent communication with residents
Ensuring efficient delivery of municipal services and representing the city in community, legislative and intergovernmental affairs
The full position description, included in the packet, further details expectations across five broad categories: executive leadership and organizational management; support for the mayor and council, including preparing agendas, resolutions and ordinances; financial management, including budgeting, purchasing and grant-seeking; economic development and community partnerships; and public communication, including compliance with Wisconsin’s Open Meetings and Public Records laws. Minimum qualifications listed in the posting include a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration or a closely related field (a master’s degree is preferred), at least five years of executive-level municipal management experience, experience in budgeting, finance, human resources and organizational leadership, and a valid Wisconsin driver’s license. The position includes an “excellent benefits package” and enrollment in the Wisconsin Retirement System, according to the posting. Interested candidates are asked to send a cover letter, resume, salary history and professional references to Jay Shambeau of IPA at jay@public-advisors.com, with questions directed to 262-355-6102. More information on the position is available at public-advisors.com/rhinelander.