The Takoma Park mayor and city council welcomed the new city manager during a reception Wednesday evening.
“Takoma is a thought leader,” Robert DiSpirito told MCM. He also noted challenges — “like many cities, you try to get a stable financial base, and you also have a lot of big projects that are underway or you want to launch, and you want to make sure that you can accomplish those within the budget and on time.”
“I look forward to meeting as many Takoma Park residents as possible,” he said.
Previous Takoma city manager Jamal Fox resigned in February of last year after 1.5 years in the job.
Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy said the interviewing process was a little different this time around, with a more comprehensive approach. There were community meetings with residents who are part of committees and boards as well as with staff members. The city also had a public presentation for residents to come out and engage with candidates, “and we think that this is a way that allows for there to be a more of a comprehensive assessment of our candidates, in addition to interviews with the city council,” Searcy said.
There were more than 58 applicants for the position, according to the city. The city manager is responsible for day-to-day management of Takoma Park operations as well as about 200 staff members. The council appoints the city manager.
DiSpirito began the job last week. Most recently, he was city manager for Rockville for about seven years. He resigned in August of last year, following some scrutiny from the Rockville mayor and council, who had voted a few months prior to implement a performance improvement plan for him.
A statement from Takoma Park this month announcing DiSpirito’s new position said, “He is a proven leader with knowledge of the challenges and opportunities we have in Montgomery County, 28 years of City Manager experience, and the vision necessary to move our city forward.”
