Contract in works for manager’s final term

Trick or Treat: Retirement date set for Oct. 31, 2024

SOUDERTON >> John McLaughlin started his job as Souderton’s first borough manager in January of 1967.

In the 54 years since then, only two other people have held the job — Del Plank and current Borough Manager Mike Coll, who, when he retires in 2024, will have been manager for 40 years and a borough employee for 42 years.

During budget discussions in November, Coll announced his plans to retire, along with proposing that his annual salary be frozen at $100,000 for the years 2021 through 2024. The move, he said, would save the borough more than $10,000 over what he would otherwise be paid during those four years and set a lower baseline for negotiating the next manager’s salary. At Souderton Borough Council’s April 19 work session, Coll said he put together a proposed contract running from January 1, 2021 to Oct. 31, 2024.

“I’ve never had a contract so what this does is it formally adopts discussions that I’ve had with council and then it serves as a template moving forward because I think the next manager is probably gonna be looking for some agreement,” Coll said.

Although the borough has not had a contract with the borough manager in the past, there is one with the police chief and the proposed manager’s contract uses the same template, he said.

Under state law, municipal managers are not guaranteed a job for the length of the contract, he said.

“The borough manager continues to be serving at the pleasure of borough council, so within 30 days notice, the agreement can be terminated by borough council,” Coll said.

He’s including in the proposed agreement that if he decides to retire before Oct. 31, 2024, he would have to give 120 days notice to give time to plan for a successor, he said.

Under the currently proposed retirement date, the borough should start the search for a replacement by the beginning of 2024, he said.

By that time, cloning might be available, council President Brian Goshow said, joking, “We just clone Mike and start all over again.”

This isn’t the first time Coll has offered to reduce what he would otherwise be receiving, Mayor John Reynolds said, suggesting that council return to Coll “something that he’s already taken away from himself.”

“I don’t think it should be beyond borough council’s aegis to discuss some sort of bonus so it doesn’t become part of the contract,” Reynolds said.

Goshow said the board will discuss the matter at its May work session meeting.