CITY OF PEORIA, CORPORATION COUNSEL

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT PEORIA, IL • CORPORATION COUNSEL City of Peoria, Illinois CORPORATION COUNSEL

GovHR USA, LLC is pleased to announce the recruitment and selection process for Corporation Counsel for the City of Peoria, IL. This is an opportunity to join a dynamic city entering a new era in local government management. This brochure provides background information on Peoria, as well as the requirements and expected qualifications for the Corporation Counsel position. Additional information about Peoria can be found on the City’s website: peoriagov.org.

Candidates interested in applying for the position should electronically submit their résumé and cover letter, along with contact information for five (5) work-related references atGovHRJobs.com . Open until filled with first review of applications September 20, 2021. Questions regarding this opportunity may be directed in confidence to the Executive Recruiter working with the City of Peoria:

GovHR USA Maureen Barry, Senior Vice President Phone: 847-380-3240, x116 Email: [email protected]

THE CITY The City of Peoria (Pop. 110,417) is located midway between Chicago and St. Louis in on the . Greater Peoria strikes the perfect balance between big-city life and small-town atmosphere. The neighborhoods are safe, and ethnically, culturally and racially diverse. The City has a strong base of residential, commercial and educational properties. Outstanding park districts and local establishments offer unique arts and cultural activities, along with recreational options for every member of the family.

A four-time All-America City, Peoria and the surrounding metro area (around 300,000 residents) are among the most favorable regions in the country for cost of living, at about 13 percent below the national average. Peoria scored a top position on the Gallup-Healthways State of American Well-Being Index and in a 2016 survey that ranked the Peoria metropolitan area 26th out of 190 communities surveyed, the highest ranking of any region in Illinois.

Peoria also ranks high in providing the best value among retirement DEMOGRAPHICS destinations, according to MarketWatch, and was fifth among U.S. cities where millennials were buying homes in 2017 according to Population: 110,417 SmartAsset, a leading financial analytics organization. (over 300,000 with surrounding metro area) Greater Peoria is a melting pot in the heart of the Midwest, with a Number of Households: 46,123 range of organizations and initiatives that spotlight its rich cultural Owner-occupied housing unit rate: heritage. The Peoria Chinese Association and Indo-American Society 55.9% of Peoria promote its Chinese and Indian heritage; Friendship House, Peoria Hispanics Group, and the Great Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Land area: 48 square miles Commerce provide resources to the growing Latino community; and Median Household Income (2019 dollars): the Tri-County Urban League, Peoria NAACP, and African American $51,771 Hall of Fame honor Peoria’s deep African American roots. From health and human services to the environment and education, Median Home Value (Owner-occupied): a diverse range of organizations are active in the Peoria community. $125,700 By cultivating and embracing a culture of well-being, Peoria’s leaders of government, business, education, healthcare, faith, and the arts (Source: U.S. Census, QuickFacts, 2019 estimated) embrace the philosophy that improving the well-being of its people is a vital aspect of serving the community. PAGE 2 PEORIA, IL • CORPORATION COUNSEL

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River. Located on , the city is home to Bradley University, MISSION STATEMENT the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (where mass production of penicillin was developed), The mission of the City of a major medical hub with four major hospitals serving central IL, and the headquarters of OSFHealthcare, Maui Peoria is to provide excellent Jim, RLI Insurance, and others. municipal services, balancing The City serves as the regional medical hub for central Illinois with four major hospitals, a Veterans exceptional customer service Administration Clinic (the “V.A. Clinic”), UICOMP, and Jump Simulation Center. OSF Saint Francis Medical with financial responsibility. Center (649 beds), UnityPoint Health Methodist Hospital (350 beds), St. Jude Midwest Affiliate Children’s Research Hospital of IL (127 beds), and Kindred Hospital VISION STATEMENT (50 beds) serve a wide variety of needs. In the spring The 2025 Vision Statement for Peoria is of 2011, a new V.A. Clinic opened with state-of-the-art a “safe, beautiful, and growing city” with equipment and expansion of health care services for four broad goals to realize the vision: veterans. The UICOMP Cancer Research Center is a 34,000 square foot, $12 million state-of-the-art research • FINANCIALLY SOUND center which opened in the fall of 2011. In 2014 OSF Customer focused, cost-effective, and completed the Jump Simulation Center, a $50 million efficient municipal services state-of-the-art medical training and research facility. Also, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central IL opened in December of 2019 with 22 mini-suites • SAFE PEORIA available. A community focused on the safety and security of its residents Peoria is globally connected. The Illinois River is used heavily by barges to transport bulk goods. More than 3 • BEAUTIFUL PEORIA million tons of cargo pass through local locks each year, Beautiful neighborhoods, beautiful providing access from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of streets with attractive spaces and Mexico and beyond. The Peoria area is served by three buildings Interstate highways: Interstate 74, which runs from northwest to southeast through the downtown area, • GROW PEORIA Interstate 474, a southern bypass of I-74, and Interstate Businesses identifying Peoria as a 155, which runs south from I-74 in Morton to Interstate desirable place to locate or expand, and 55 in Lincoln, connecting to Springfield and St. Louis. residents finding Peoria as a desirable place to relocate to and to live

PAGE 3 PEORIA, IL • CORPORATION COUNSEL CITY GOVERNMENT The City of Peoria is a full-service community with 615 FTEs and a total budget of just over $200 million, including a $100 million General Fund. The City is a home rule municipality and operates under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council is comprised of the Mayor (elected at-large) and ten council members, who are elected for four-year terms. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the chief administrative officer of the City. All department heads, including the Corporation Counsel, are appointed by and directly report to the City Manager.

The City provides services through 14 departments including: City Manager, Community Development, Emergency Communications, Fire, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, Legal, Police, Police Six strategic outcomes identified by the and Public Works and the offices of an elected City Clerk City Council: and City Treasurer. Six groups of employees in the • ARTS, CULTURE AND LIFELONG LEARNING City’s departments are currently unionized. The City’s Deliver the building blocks of a vibrant and diverse water service is supplied through Illinois American community Water Company and wastewater service is provided by • ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND the City and the Greater Peoria Sanitary District. Risk NEIGHBORHOOD LIVABILITY - management and liability claims against the City are Provide economic opportunity for all and support managed by the Legal Department and a third-party strong, diverse neighborhoods administrator. The City’s health insurance benefits are managed through a joint labor management health care • ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - Maintain, committee. protect, and enhance a healthy and sustainable environment The City revised its 2021 Budget to account for COVID-19 • GOOD GOVERNMENT FOR ALL - Develop pandemic induced reductions in revenues, which forced effective and efficient city government focused the City to make staff and capital spending cuts and on equitable results, while retaining a high-quality restructure its debt service payments. As a result, the workforce City managed to produce positive unaudited General Fund results for the last fiscal year. • INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY - Provide a reliable, equitable, and safe transportation system The City is taking further steps to address its budget challenges by offering an to eligible employees and • PUBLIC SAFETY - Being safe at home, at work, at reorganizing operations as needed to align spending to play and in your community meet the new realities of a COVID-19 world. The next Corporation Counsel will join the City at a time that requires bold, decisive action and the ability to leave a long-lasting impression.

The City Council revised its strategic plan in 2019 by identifying strategic outcomes and key challenges facing the City of Peoria and department heads were tasked with identifying new strategies or adjusting existing ones to address those challenges. The goal of the strategic planning process was to provide a defined focus for the next 3-5 years and clear direction for the 2020-21 biennial budget and beyond.

PAGE 4 PEORIA, IL • CORPORATION COUNSEL THE POSITION IN BRIEF The Corporation Counsel is responsible for providing legal advice to the City Council, City Manager and department heads, including advising on labor and personnel issues. The Corporation Counsel represents the City in litigation and before administrative agencies, and recommends selection of outside counsel when appropriate. The Corporation Counsel directs such counsel in their representation of the City. The Corporation Counsel is responsible for preparing ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds and other legal documents, and for preparing documents related to taxation, special assessments and bond transactions.

The Corporation Counsel heads Peoria’s Legal Department, with a staff consisting of a Senior Attorney, two Assistant City Attorneys and two administrative assistants. The Senior Attorney is serving currently as Interim Corporation Counsel. The City is recruiting for an additional administrative assistant or paralegal to work on special projects for a limited term. The Department manages a substantial workload in a respectful and collegial atmosphere. It is possible that the Department will grow in the future.

KEY PROJECTS AND CHALLENGES POSITION REQUIREMENTS Opportunities and challenges for the Corporation The City is seeking an experienced and collaborative Counsel will include: legal professional to serve as Corporation Counsel. The successful candidate will have: • Recruitment and hiring of additional staff to return department to authorized number of positions. • Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school • Centralizing file management and calendar system for and admission to practice, in good standing, in both litigation and administrative cases. Illinois (or ability to become admitted in Illinois within 6 months of appointment). • Documentation and ongoing legal administration of a substantial number of tax increment financing • Ten years progressively responsible relevant districts. experience, including supervisory experience and at least three years of experience in the practice of • Ongoing administration of contractual relationships municipal law. with outside consultants. • Extensive knowledge of all areas of municipal law including constitutional law, civil rights law, tort liability, public sector labor and employment law, municipal finance and taxation, and transactional law. • Knowledge of and experience with governmental accounting and budgeting. • Demonstrated skill in researching and drafting legal opinions, governmental documents, litigation documents and transactional documents. • Demonstrated experience in negotiation, oral argument and trial management. • Strong organizational leadership, with excellent strategic personnel management skills. • Knowledge of applicable state, federal and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. • History of collaboration within and outside of the organization, intergovernmental cooperation and relationship building. • Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present complex information to any audience. • Excellent reputation and a demonstrated high level of honesty and integrity.

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THE IDEAL CANDIDATE • Have extensive experience in the practice of • Have a strong interest and ability to lead and municipal law gained working for a municipality, in a supervise employees, creating an environment of private law firm, or both. trust, integrity, and mentorship where employees • Possess significant knowledge of all aspects of respect one another and where the Legal Department municipal law, including labor and employment and consistently functions with a high level of customer public finance. service. • Have extensive litigation experience in state • Have proven verbal communication and listening and federal courts, including appointment and skills, both one-on-one and in group settings, treating supervision of outside counsel. everyone in a professional and respectful manner. • Have experience in financial transactions including • Experience in working with and collaborating on various forms of municipal bonds, and tax increment employee benefits issues and Labor-Management financing districts. committees. • Have the ability to analyze proposed federal, state • Possess strong presentation skills and excellent and local legislation to interpret meaning and assess writing and interpersonal skills. impact on the City. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The anticipated starting salary range is $150,000 – $180,000 +/- DOQ. A comprehensive benefits package includes participation in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), health insurance including medical, dental, and vision coverage (also available to dependents), and life insurance. The City also offers paid vacation, holidays and sick leave. Residency within city limits is required within one year of appointment.

SELECTION PROCESS Apply online at www.govhrjobs.com with a resume, cover letter and contact information for five professional references. Open until filled with first review of applications September 20, 2021. Confidential inquiries are encouraged and should be directed to Maureen Barry, Senior Vice President, GovHR USA at [email protected] or 847-380-3240, x116.

The City of Peoria is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT

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