The City of Fayette has hired a new city administrator. Tyler Griffith signed a two-year contract on July 15. He will begin serving as Fayette’s new city administrator on Monday, July 27.

This will be Griffith’s first time serving in a municipality, although he graduated from Missouri Valley College in 2011 with a degree in Public Administration. Fresh out of college, he said a lack of experience kept him from landing such a position. He ended up working for Sears for about six years, first as an assistant manager, then finally running his own store. Since then he served as general manager at Staples in Jefferson City, before becoming a sales and services manager at that company’s Rolla location.

“When I first got out of school everybody wanted experience to work in public administration,” Griffith said. “Now I’ve been in the private sector for nine years.” He has, however, taken a training seminar presented by Lauber Municipal Law, the city’s law firm in Jefferson City. Griffith said he will likely rely heavily on city attorney Nathan Nickolaus, who himself has served as a city administrator. 

Griffith said the biggest adjustment entering the public sector will be the amount of time it takes to get things done. Decisions that can be made on the spot in the private sector, often will take weeks or months in the public sector. 

Griffith said he is eager to get started. He said he has already been introduced to many people throughout the community. He plans to move to Fayette.

Griffith comes to Fayette during a unique time for the city. In March the city council fired longtime city administrator and city clerk Robin Triplett after her failure to timely file financial reports with the state cost the city more than $150,000 in fines. The city council hired Jeff Hancock shortly thereafter as the interim city administrator. He worked to clean up what turned out to be quite a mess at city hall, and prepared the 2020-21 city budget which was adopted June 30. Fayette also has a new Mayor. Kevin Oeth was elected in June in an election that was delayed two months due to COVID-19. That same election saw Jeremy Dawson accept the position of east ward alderman after he picked up a majority of write-in votes. The city also just recently promoted Tara Kunze to the position of city clerk.

“We’re excited about getting to the point where we have an administration,” Oeth said. “I think he’ll do a good job.”

Griffith said he plans to form a strong alliance between himself, and the mayor and city council. “What’s their agenda is my agenda,” he said. “The mayor and I agree that one of our main focuses is the sewer and street project that is about to start.” A long-term goal would be to get the proposed splash park built and in service.

Griffith also said he looks to help build unity between himself, the city council, and the citizens of Fayette. “I’m here to help listen,” he said.

“I’m excited to be here, Griffith said.