New Johnson City planning chief tops predecessor by nearly 50K

The new head of Johnson City's planning division will be paid 47% more than the previous department leader, according to public records obtained by the Johnson City Press. The city offered its new hire for the role, Steve Neilson, a $147,500 annual salary, according to an offer letter he signed in August. That's up $47,348 from the $100,152 annual salary the city set for its former head of planning who left for a private sector job in July. The increase makes Neilson's position one of the highest paid director-level roles at the city, according to city salary data obtained by the Johnson City Press earlier in the year. When asked what new responsibilities warrant such a pay increase, city spokesperson Sarah Nobles wrote in an email statement that the new planning director position carries more responsibilities than the former planning manager role. "While the planning director and former planning manager positions share core planning functions, the director role carries greater organizational responsibility, authority, and leadership accountability," Nobles said. "The director establishes goals and priorities, provides higher-level policy and strategic guidance, and leads complex and highly visible planning and development matters." Nobles also cited Neilson's extensive planning experience. "Steve Neilson brings more than 38 years of planning experience, including 21 years with the City of Johnson City. His extensive experience and familiarity with the City means he will hit the ground running," Nobles wrote in the statement. "We are pleased to have him return during a time of significant growth to lead the Planning Division." "Steve's salary is at the upper end of the Tennessee range for planning directors and is competitive with his previous earnings in Morristown," Nobles wrote. The position is budgeted for in the city's general fund. Earlier in the summer, three members of the city's six-person planning team turned in resignations over the span of a few weeks. In early August, a city spokesperson said the department would "maintain day-to-day operations" while administrators worked to fill the open roles. Two planner positions remain open, the city spokesperson confirmed Monday. Outside of its non-voting executive committee, the Planning Commission has not met since July 14. The board's next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 14. Neilson will begin his work for the city on Sept. 21, according to a press release. He currently serves as the community development director for the city of Morristown, where he's worked for the past decade. Before Morristown, Neilson worked as a development coordinator in Johnson City's planning division for more than 20 years.