Anthony Roy had been Herington’s city manager for only a couple of days when he sat down for an interview Thursday, but he was already beginning to familiarize himself with the city’s finances, streets, employees and other issues facing the community.
Roy, who previously served as city administrator in Mankato, said his first priorities are learning about Herington, getting to know the city staff, commission and community, and gaining a thorough understanding of the city’s financial position.
After that, one of the major issues on his list is Herington’s streets.
Roy said he has not yet had time to study all of the details surrounding the sales tax approved by voters for street improvements, but developing a street plan will be a priority.
“My hope is we have a fairly good general idea what the plan is” before the end of the year, he said.
Roy brings experience in both municipal government and economic development to Herington.
He grew up in Bogue, a small western Kansas community about nine miles east of Hill City. In 2016, he became economic development director for Ness County. He later worked for the City of Hillsboro for approximately seven years, handling economic development, code enforcement, zoning and planning.
“In small towns, you wear a lot of hats,” Roy said.
Nearly three years ago, he moved to Mankato, where he served as city administrator. Mankato has a population of about 850, and Roy said the city had only eight employees. Herington, by comparison, has approximately 35 full-time employees and operates more municipal departments and services. The smaller staff in Mankato also meant Roy was accustomed to doing more than administrative work. He said it was not unusual for him to be in a hole helping repair a water leak.
That hands-on approach carried over to his first day in Herington. After attending a department head Tuesday morning, Roy went out with Public Works employees and helped pour concrete.
Roy said he understands that city employees and commissioners want a manager who is visible in the community and among city departments. “I don’t mind getting my hands dirty,” he said.
He also planned to begin meeting with Herington businesses during his second week on the job.
Economic development is another area in which Roy expects his previous experience to be useful. His approach focuses heavily on entrepreneurship and developing businesses from within a community.
He pointed to Barkman Honey in Hillsboro as an example of a locally developed business that grew into a major employer.
Roy also believes communities increasingly have to make themselves places where people want to live. “People nowadays tend to live in the communities they want to live in, and then they find a job,” he said.
Creating an attractive community, he said, can therefore be part of creating economic opportunity. Housing, however, remains a challenge in many communities, including Herington.
Another Herington asset that particularly interests Roy is the city’s lakes.
Roy and his wife, Ellian Weisbeck, enjoy camping and outdoor activities, and he said Herington’s lakes were one of the reasons the community appealed to them. “I’d like to eventually be able to spend some time on what the city could do at the lake,” he said.
He is also interested in the eventual completion of the Flint Hills Trail connection between Council Grove and Herington, although during his first week he had not yet had an opportunity to determine the current status of that project.
Roy was similarly cautious when asked about recent discussion of a potential data center in the Herington area. He said that, at this early stage, he knew little beyond what had been discussed at a recent city commission meeting. He has begun researching the issue and understands concerns that have been raised in other communities, but said he does not yet have enough information to determine whether such a project would be good or bad for Herington. “It’s an opportunity that should definitely be considered, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Roy’s interest in local government has family roots. His maternal grandfather served as city superintendent in Bogue, while his paternal grandfather was road and bridge supervisor for Rooks County for nearly 30 years. His great-grandfather also served as city administrator in Hill City. “I’ve got that in my blood,” Roy said.
His father worked in several occupations, including as a production manager for a manufactured-home company in Plainville, and now works as a mechanic in Nebraska. His mother was a nurse for much of Roy’s childhood and now works with people with developmental disabilities in Hill City.
Roy and Weisbeck have four children. His oldest son, from a previous relationship, lives with his mother. Elizabeth, 11, is a fifth grader attending school in Herington. Seven-yearold Zinnia and 4-year-old Dande are homeschooled. Dande has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair.
For the time being, the family is living in a house owned by Weisbeck’s family in Junction City, but Roy said they intend to move to Herington within the next several months.
Weisbeck’s family has ties to Hillsboro and Manhattan, and moving to Herington allowed the family to be closer to them. Roy said the age of their children also played a role in deciding that now was the right time to make a move.
The couple has traditionally been active in the communities where they have lived, something Roy expects to continue in Herington. Although Roy has a three-year contract with the city, he said he and Weisbeck are looking considerably further into the future. He said their plan is to make at least a 10-year commitment to Herington. “That doesn’t mean 10 years and I’m out the door,” Roy said. “We want to be committed to the place for 10 years.”
Whether Roy proves to be the long-term city manager Herington has been seeking will be determined over time, but after years of turnover in the position, Roy’s stated desire for stability may be particularly significant. He comes to Herington with experience in both municipal government and economic development, family ties to this part of Kansas and a willingness to become involved in the community. If his first days are any indication, Roy plans to approach the job with a visible, hands-on presence in both City Hall and the community.