Cape Girardeau hires Scott Meyer as city manager

After the Cape Girardeau City Council conducted a nationwide search spanning five months, Mayor Jay Knudtson named a new city manager Thursday.

Scott Meyer, who has been the director of facilities management at Southeast Missouri State University since 2005, will start at the position July 1.

Meyer was also the District Engineer for the Southeast District of the Missouri Department of Transportation for nine years before working at the university.

Knudtson said Meyer will bring a new style of leadership to the position leveraged by freshness and excitement.

"His lack of city manager experience in this case is an opportunity," he said.

The city received 56 applications from applicants in 23 states during the process, which started in January. Three of the four finalists were from outside Cape Girardeau, said Councilman John Voss, who led the seach committee. The search cost $10,000 in hosting, traveling and advertising expenses, he said. Voss said candidates drove to Cape Girardeau to observe city operations and interview with the council.

Meyer's base salary will be $117,000 with an $8,000 performance-based bonus available at the end of his first year, Knudtson said. Meyer's total benefits package will not exceed that of former city manager Doug Leslie, Knudtson said. Before he retired in March, Leslie made $124,800 annually.

Look for more on this story later on semissourian.com.