Jason Gage among finalists for city manager role in Kansas

Jason Gage, Springfield's city manager since 2018, is among a handful of finalists for the same job title in Manhattan, Kansas.

Gage is one of four people being considered for Manhattan's city manager role, the municipality announced in a news release yesterday. In Manhattan, nearly 60 miles west of Topeka, Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers has served as interim city manager since the April retirement of Ron Fehr.

"The finalists were selected recently following a nationwide search that produced a field of 50 candidates from 23 different states," Manhattan officials said in the release.

Reached this morning, the city of Springfield declined to comment on Gage's selection as a finalist for the job in Kansas.

The other finalists for the Manhattan city manager role are the following:
• Danielle Dulin, city manager of Warrensburg
• Jamie Miller, city manager of Paris, Kentucky
• Jacob J. Wood, deputy city manager for the city of Salina, Kansas

Gage became Springfield's 13th city manager in summer 2018, according to past reporting. He previously served as city manager in Salina, Kansas, for 13 years, and he's also worked in city manager roles in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and De Soto, southwest of St. Louis.

In the release from the city of Manhattan, Gage is credited with leading a Springfield municipality with a $507 million annual budget and a staff of 2,112 full-time employees.

"During his tenure with the city of Springfield, he partnered with the county, business community, health systems and media to ensure a unified message while protecting staff and providing continuity of services throughout the pandemic," the release states.

The city manager finalists in Manhattan are slated to meet with members of the public on July 22. On-site interviews are scheduled July 22-23.