Former Rockville City Manager Robert DiSpirito received $307,093 in severance pay, according to documents obtained by MoCo360.
DiSpirito resigned on Aug. 17 after the council held a closed session to discuss DiSpirito’s performance earlier in the day. The council immediately appointed Deputy City Manager Barack Matite as acting city manager.
DiSpirito had been placed on a three-month performance improvement plan by Mayor Bridget Newton and the city council in May. While the plan and its reasoning were discussed privately in a closed session, the 4-1 vote was made publicly.
The severance package included $229,630 for nine months’ salary and benefits in accordance with DiSpirito’s contract, as well as $77,462 is for unused vacation time.
City of Rockville spokesperson Sean Sedam told MoCo360 on Wednesday that the city has issued a request for proposals for an executive search firm to conduct the city manager search.
“The Mayor and Council are reviewing the search firms’ responses to the [request for proposals],” Sedam said. “The selected search firm will work with this Mayor and Council and the next Mayor and Council to design the recruitment process for selecting a new city manager.”
The next mayor and councilmembers, who are scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 19 following the Nov. 7 City Council election, will hire the new city manager.
“I am very proud of having led as City Manager these past seven years a team of incredibly talented employees, with the steady policy guidance of the Mayor and Council, to a solid record of numerous achievements and quality public services for our residents,” DiSpirito wrote in a Aug. 19 statement to MoCo360. “It has been a true privilege to have served Rockville as its chief executive for all of these years, and to have worked so closely and successfully with such wonderful employees, the Mayor and Council, and residents.”
DisSpirito said Matite “is extremely professional and capable and will do a terrific job. He deserves everyone’s support.”
Shortly following DiSpirito’s resignation, a few candidates for Rockville City Council called for the city to delay the hiring until the new council was elected and sworn-in and could make the decision.
“Rockville is in the midst of an election for Mayor and all six City Council seats. It should be up to a new Mayor and City Council to decide upon City Manager candidates – one whom they will hire to work for the City of Rockville for the foreseeable future,” City Council candidate Barry Jackson wrote in an Aug. 21 press release.
