Transition at City Hall: Ralley Expected as Interim Leader
City Council eyes July 26 start for acting city manager as Crandall departs
Hilliard City Council is expected to appoint the city’s assistant city manager, Dan Ralley, to acting city manager, effective July 26.
Resolution 25-R-51, is on City Council’s June 23 agenda for consideration.
Hilliard City Manager Michelle Crandall on May 27 announced her resignation, effective July 25.
The resolution naming Ralley as acting city manager includes an employment agreement.
The agreement sets the gross pay rate as equivalent to that of assistant city manager plus an additional $40 per hour, but Ralley will remain as a salaried and Fair Labor and Standards Act-exempt employee of the city.
It includes language, as needed, for how he could resume, or be relieved from, returning to the sole responsibilities of assistant city manager.
If history is an indicator, City Council could utilize professional services to undertake a regional or national search for a permanent successor for Crandall while Ralley serves as acting city manager.
Hilliard hired Novak Consulting Group to conduct a nationwide search that resulted in the hire of Crandall as the city’s first city manager.
Several out-of-state candidates were considered but City Council looked next door when hiring Crandall, who was the assistant city manager in Dublin.
Crandall began serving as Hilliard’s first city manager Jan. 1, 2020 after the Hilliard electorate, in November 2018, approved an amendment to the city charter to replace the strong mayor form of city government with that of a city manager.
The move aligned Hilliard with most other central Ohio municipalities of comparable size that employed an appointed city manager rather than an elected mayor as its chief operating officer, including Upper Arlington, New Albany, Worthington, Westerville, and Dublin.
Crandall’s current contract, extended once since the initial contract, extends through the end of 2026.
In December 2023, City Council approved a salary increase for Crandall.
Crandall’s annual salary in 2024 increased to $225,737 from $212,960, according to David Ball, Hilliard’s director of community relations.
Like Crandall, Ralley arrived as Hilliard’s first assistant city manager in January 2021 from a neighboring community.
Ralley was the assistant city manager in Upper Arlington before coming to Hilliard.
Housing That Stays Home
Our most recent housing conversation - I was joined by Hope Paxson and Curtiss Williams from the Central Ohio Community Land Trust and Improvement Corporation (COCLT, COCIC) and Assistant City Manager Dan Ralley.
Crandall resigned as Hilliard’s city manager to accept the newly minted role as Chief Member Services Officer of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
“Hilliard is an amazing community with an incredibly talented, innovative, and dedicated team of city employees. I am proud of all we have accomplished together during my time here. I leave here knowing that we have co-created a culture that honors the ideas, contributions and talents of all of our staff members and that results in exceptional services and safety services for all of our community members,” Crandall previously said.
The mission of the ICMA, according to its Website, is to support its more than 13,000 member local government professionals.
Council President Cottone just provided this June 21st statement in an update regarding the timing of the move-suggesting they are acting sooner than later to create as smooth a transition as possible.
"City Council is being proactive so that we will be able to seamlessly carry on after (Crandall) leaves the role (of city manager)," Cottone said.
Cottone said, with council approval, that it will hire a firm to do a national search.