Tasha Logan named assistant city manager
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on June 10, 2005 1:49 PM
All city employees will eventually get a raise in next year's budget, and a handful will have their positions reclassified.
One of those is Tasha Logan, who has served as assistant to the city manager for the past year.
Ms. Logan will become assistant city manager as of July 1. Some city division heads will report to her instead of City Manager Joe Huffman. She will continue to supervise certain city projects, including the City Hall expansion.
The promotion comes with a $26,640 boost in her annual salary. The city will also begin paying her $300 a month in travel expenses and giving her $30 a month for her personal cellphone.
Huffman said Thursday he needs an assistant manager, and Ms. Logan has already shown she can do the job. "If I was to interview a job candidate, I might talk to him or her for a maximum of four hours. I've already seen Tasha in action for four months," Huffman said. "She's qualified and knowledgeable about the community."
Ms. Logan has overseen the City Hall construction and has also been the lead city official on the Clean Water Management Trust Fund project to buy undeveloped land near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Huffman said. "These are million-dollar projects."
She has also served on the boards of United Way, Smart Start and other community organizations, he said.
Huffman said he trusts her to handle her new responsibilities.
"When I go to bed at night, I need to know some things are taken care of," he said.
Ms. Logan is excited about the challenges of the new position, she said.
"I came back to Goldsboro because I saw the opportunity for the city to grow and move forward," she said this morning.
She wants to help the city better serve residents, she said, noting the needs of youths and the increasing number of senior citizens. Goldsboro will also see an influx of new families if Seymour Johnson gains manpower, as is now expected.
The city needs to promote a healthy mix of established businesses and newcomers. "We need to have a sustainable community," she said.
She would like eventually to become a city manager, she said. "My goal is to be in a community where I can make an impact."
Ms. Logan was born in Charleston, S.C., but her father was in the Air Force and moved frequently. They were stationed at Seymour Johnson twice, including a period during which Ms. Logan graduated from Eastern Wayne High School.
She received her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and then earned her master's degree in public administration from N.C. State University.
She worked three summers for the city of Goldsboro as a college intern, including helping the city host the Spain team during the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 1999.
Former City Manager Richard Slozak hired her as assistant to the city manager in April 2004. The salary range for her current job is $36,628-$55,744, while the range for assistant city manager is $63,065-$95,951. The City Council decided during budget discussions last month to give her the travel allowance and cellphone payment.
The 2005-06 budget also reclassifies seven other employees -- one in human resources, one at the water plant, two in planning and three at the police department. Raises range from $2,000-$5,600.
The budget also gives all city employees a 2.5-percent raise, but it will not go into effect until January 2006. The delay was partially intended to decrease the total cost of the raises, but the council also noted that employees had gotten a cost-of-living increase in February.
Huffman plans to begin merit raises as soon as the 2006-07 budget year. The city will spend up to $10,000 for a consultant to help develop a performance-pay system.