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FOLLANSBEE -- At a special meeting Tuesday, Follansbee Council unanimously agreed not to renew the contract of City Manager Joe DiBartolomeo.
Called for comment, Mayor David Velegol Jr. said when DiBartolomeo was hired in 2022, they had spoken of the former Weirton city manager serving Follansbee in the same capacity for one or two years.
"The purpose of it was really for him to help us out," said Velegol.
DiBartolomeo, who's slated to leave the position after today, couldn't be reached for comment.
His appointment had come following the unexpected resignation of Jack McIntosh, who had been hired in 2021, following the illness and subsequent death of longtime city manager John DeStefano.
McIntosh had served as the city's water superintendent for many years prior to that.
Velegol noted DiBartolomeo also arrived at a time when major changes were occurring in the City Building due to two retirements and one death.
The mayor said DiBartolomeo worked with him and other city officials to weather tough economic times, with the closing of the Mountain State Carbon coke plant leaving a $1 million hole in the city's budget.
"Obviously there were a lot of complications and difficulties with that and we had to work through that," said Velegol.
DiBartolomeo's short tenure with Follansbee included conflicts between some city officials, including with Larry Rea, the city's police and fire chief. That dispute included a heated verbal exchange between the two during one council meeting.
Councilman at large John Casinelli said there was "drama" between DiBartolomeo and others with the city while acknowledging measures taken by him to improve the city's situation.
He said one example was raising the city's building permit fees to reflect the larger investments in anticipated industrial developments such as two large warehouses built by the Port of West Virginia.
On council's decision, Casinelli said, "Speaking for myself, I think council is looking for a different way to go."
He added he believes council wants "someone who's willing to buy into the city. He's living in another city (Weirton) and running for office there. I just don't think he had the buy-in that was needed to move us forward."
Velegol said he will make a motion to advertise for a new city manager at council's next regular meeting in May.
A city ordinance charges the mayor with nominating a city manager for council's approval.
Approval of DiBartolomeo's hiring came following Velegol's nomination and a 90-minute executive session, in which council members could interview him, both held during the same meeting.
Some on the current council had complained there was little time for them to make the decision.
Velegol said it's often necessary to keep confidential candidates for a given position because they are employed elsewhere.
"I want to give them more notice, but it's going to have to be confidential," he said.
He said until a new city manager is hired, he expects to spend more time at the City Building overseeing its operations with Office Manager Michael "Mac" Casini.