Decatur Deputy City Manager ShamRA Robinson Begins July 27

Dr. ShamRA Robinson began work July 27, 2026, as Decatur’s deputy city manager, five days after the city announced her hiring.

The appointment places Robinson in a senior administrative role intended to help coordinate city departments, support budget work and advance priorities set by the Decatur City Council. The city has not publicly confirmed in the records reviewed for this article Robinson’s final salary, contract status, reporting arrangement or whether she replaced an acting deputy city manager.

Robinson’s background

Decatur’s July 21 announcement says Robinson came from Peoria, where she served as director of community engagement and public relations for the Greater Peoria transportation district. The city said she has more than 22 years of local-government experience.

The announcement also describes experience involving workforce, community and economic development; a community-wide 311-style service system; fixed-route and paratransit operations; customer service; and strategic planning. It says Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Columbia International University.

What the position is designed to cover

The city’s deputy city manager recruitment materials describe the position as a senior executive role advising the city manager and coordinating work across municipal departments.

The advertised responsibilities include helping support service delivery, administrative processes, organizational performance, special projects and communication with elected officials, community stakeholders, outside agencies and the media. The position also is described as assisting with the annual operating budget and capital improvement planning, helping advance City Council priorities and engaging with development-related work and labor matters as assigned.

The recruitment materials say the deputy city manager may serve as acting city manager when the city manager is absent. That is a description of the advertised position, not proof of every duty or authority delegated to Robinson after her start date.

How the job fits Decatur government

Decatur uses a council-manager form of government. The elected mayor and six-member City Council establish policy, approve budgets, set the city’s direction and supervise the city manager. The city manager directs day-to-day municipal administration.

That division means the deputy city manager’s public importance is largely administrative: coordinating departments and helping translate approved policies, budgets and projects into city operations. The position may touch public services, capital planning, development coordination, labor relations and communication, but Robinson’s hiring alone does not show that any particular policy, budget or service has changed.

What remains to be confirmed

Decatur’s 2026 compensation disclosure lists Wendy Morthland as acting deputy city manager, with a budget annual salary of $222,670 and total compensation of $251,600. That document does not establish whether Morthland’s acting designation ended when Robinson began, whether Robinson replaced her, or whether the two roles overlapped.

The disclosure also does not provide Robinson’s final compensation. The recruitment materials’ salary information was a projected hiring range for the position, not a confirmed statement of Robinson’s pay.

Residents and taxpayers should look for future City Council agendas and minutes, budget and compensation records, employment documents and City Manager’s Office announcements for confirmation of Robinson’s reporting relationship, appointment authority, employment terms, final compensation and assigned responsibilities. Those records will provide the clearest basis for evaluating how the new position affects municipal operations and accountability.

Sources

• City of Decatur NewsFlash listing