Fort Smith Board of Directors spends massive amounts of money in a dog and pony show that was set in stone

The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted Tuesday, August 4, to extend an offer of employment to Jeff Dingman as the city’s next City Administrator.

Dingman has served as Fort Smith’s Deputy City Administrator since 2011 and is currently the Acting City Administrator. Before joining the city, he spent eight years as City Administrator of Baldwin City, Kansas, and four years as Assistant County Administrator for Sebastian County.

City Director Lee Kemp, who served as the Board’s liaison during the search process, said the decision followed a thorough nationwide recruitment effort. “We have done our due diligence through a nationwide search; our goal as the Board of Directors was to bring this process to conclusion,” Kemp said. “Our responsibility is establishing performance expectations and measurable goals for Mr. Dingman. The City Administrator reports directly to the Board, so it is very important that we provide clear expectations, measurable goals, and actionable direction.”

The Board will now work with the executive search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates to negotiate and finalize an employment agreement with Dingman.