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Marquart to start Oct. 1 as Dormont manager
Wednesday, August 15, 2001 By Al Lowe, Tri-State Sports & News Service
Dormont council members cited John Marquart's extensive experience in municipal management for hiring him on a 6-1 vote as the borough's new manager.
He will begin his new job Oct. 1 as the permanent replacement for Deborah Grass, who resigned in May after 11 year as manager to start a consulting business.
Marquart, an Edgewood resident and manager there since 1999, was borough manager in Wilkinsburg from 1997 to 1999.
He also served as city manager of Country Club Hills, Ill., from 1995 to 1996; village manager of Richton Park, Ill., from 1992 to 1993; and city administrator of Darien, Ill., from 1983 to 1989.
He said he looked forward to taking on new challenges in Dormont, which has a bigger population, staff and budget than Edgewood.
His salary will increase from $55,000 in Edgewood to $62,000 in Dormont. His contract will run until Dec. 31, 2004.
Councilman Eugene Barilla dissented on Marquart's selection, saying, "I object to the salary."
Jean Davin, Edgewood council vice president, said her board had a good relationship with Marquart. "He helped us out of a big mess" when Peter Messina resigned as manager and was fired as police chief.
Davin said her council "is very active and has hands-on approval of everything. He made a lot of changes we wanted to institute." These included hiring a new management team, buying new technology and acquiring new police cars, a dump truck and fire department pumper.
Wilkinsburg council fired Marquart in 1999. Council member Alexis Nedley, an ally, said he was "a victim of politics," when four newly elected members critical of the incumbents let him go.
"John was a wonderful borough manager," she said. "I have worked with four managers and an interim manager during my 12 years on council. The four who fired him had never worked with a manager before. I think if it were today, they'd be for him."
Marquart declined to discuss Wilkinsburg politics. "I prefer to start on a high note. They decided on a change at that time. They had the prerogative."
Marquart was not present Monday when hired by Dormont council, but President Richard Grubb informed him by phone after the meeting. There was no one in the audience.
Marquart said he told council he would move from Edgewood to Dormont.
He received his master's degree in political science/public administration from Western Illinois University in 1976. He also was director of administration for Hedlund & Hanley in Chicago, a law firm specializing in corporate litigation.
Free-lance writer M.J. Place contributed to this story.
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