Tony Kies is approaching his new role as interim City Administrator with the same vigor and enthusiasm that he has displayed since assuming the duties of Muscatine Police Chief on March 1, 2023.
“Very few people love this community as much as I do, and are willing to do whatever is needed to see this community grow,” Chief Kies said.
Kies, an 18-year veteran of the Muscatine Police Department, is looking forward to working with the City leadership team and City staff while a search for a new city administrator proceeds.
Carol Webb’s tenure as the City of Muscatine City Administrator ended August 25, and Kies officially became the Interim City Administrator at midnight Monday. Webb’s letter of resignation was accepted by the Muscatine City Council on July 11.
Kies was selected during a special meeting of the Muscatine City Council on August 8. The selection followed a two-week period when five internal candidates stepped forward and applied for the interim position.
“I know each of these people well and each would have done this job well,” Chief Kies said. “I look forward to working with them, the other department heads, and our entire staff to keep moving Muscatine forward.”
Kies spent the last week working alongside Webb in going over the duties and responsibilities of a city administrator.
“There is a lot more to this position than what people realize,” Kies said. “I look forward to the challenge of maintaining the City’s course until a new city administrator is appointed.”
Kies admits that his primary responsibility will still be as the Chief of Police for the City of Muscatine, attending shift changes while also keeping up on the various investigations being conducted.
“This is my primary job,” Kies said. “I will remain dedicated to staying informed, standing alongside the officers when needed, and doing that job to the best of my ability.”
When he is in the city administrator’s chair, however, it is all about city business. And that is a message that Chief Kies was the people to know.
“When I am at City Hall, it is all about City business,” Chief Kies said. “I don’t even have my police radio on.”
The City has started the process of looking for a new City Administrator, posting the opening locally but planning to work with a national agency starting September 1 to extend the search nationwide. The process could take six months or more to complete.
When Chief Kies became Muscatine’s Police Chief, he talked about his small-town roots and how that helped develop his leadership skills.
“I grew up in a small town where police officers took care of you and earned the people’s respect,” Chief Kies said. “I wanted to bring to this town that kind of loving, caring, generous behavior. That type of leadership works very well for the community and it will work well for me during my time as interim.”
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