Beth Beatty is the Joliet city manager, appointed by unanimous council vote in November 2023 and starting in the role on December 11, 2023.1City of Joliet, IL. City of Joliet Announces Beth Beatty to Serve as Its City Manager She is the first woman to hold the position in Joliet’s history.2City of Joliet, IL. City Manager’s Office Joliet uses a council-manager form of government, so while the mayor and council set policy and pass ordinances, the city manager runs daily operations and supervises every municipal department.
Who Beth Beatty Is
Beatty came to Joliet after nearly two decades with the City of Chicago, where she worked under four mayoral administrations. Her Chicago roles included Deputy Mayor of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, which put her in charge of large budgets and legislative strategy across levels of government.2City of Joliet, IL. City Manager’s Office Earlier in her career she clerked for former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College and a law degree from John Marshall Law School.1City of Joliet, IL. City of Joliet Announces Beth Beatty to Serve as Its City Manager
The council hired her after a nationwide search and approved her appointment at its November 7, 2023, meeting.1City of Joliet, IL. City of Joliet Announces Beth Beatty to Serve as Its City Manager Her contract set an annual salary of $230,000, a $250 monthly vehicle allowance, and $12,500 in relocation expenses for her move from Chicago. Her predecessor, James Capparelli, had been paid $198,000.
What the City Manager Actually Does
Joliet’s code of ordinances gives the city manager authority over all departments and their employees, enforcement of city laws and ordinances, and management of city property and infrastructure. The manager also prepares the annual municipal budget for council review and reports to the council on the city’s financial health.
The scope is substantial. Joliet’s 2026 budget allocates $23.4 million for road and sidewalk improvements, $4 million for fire and police vehicles, and $7 million for a new Public Safety Institute built in partnership with Joliet Junior College. Police and fire staffing alone makes up roughly 75 percent of total personnel costs.3City of Joliet, IL. City of Joliet Passes 2026 Budget with No City Property Tax Increase for Second Consecutive Year The manager drafts the budget proposal by weighing projected revenues against department requests, then hands it to the council, which has the final say on tax rates and spending.
A large piece of the job is intergovernmental coordination. The manager works with other agencies to make efficient use of public resources and advances or opposes legislative initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels.2City of Joliet, IL. City Manager’s Office For a city Joliet’s size, relationships with Will County, the state legislature, and federal agencies feed directly into funding for transportation, water infrastructure, and public safety.
How the Council Hires and Removes the Manager
The council hires the city manager and can remove the manager if performance falls short. That gives elected officials direct accountability over operations without having to run departments themselves. Removal generally requires a majority vote and follows the notice and severance terms built into the manager’s contract.
When the position opens, the council typically engages a professional search firm to recruit candidates nationally rather than defaulting to local applicants. Candidates are evaluated on administrative ability and professional qualifications; competitive applicants usually bring an advanced degree in public administration or a law degree plus executive-level municipal experience. Beatty’s law degree and 18 years in progressively senior Chicago roles fit that profile. Once the council settles on a candidate, the appointment requires a formal vote, and the contract that follows covers salary, benefits, severance, and any relocation assistance.
Why the Role Has Seen Recent Turnover
Beatty’s hiring followed a stretch of instability. Before Capparelli was hired on a permanent basis in January 2021, Joliet went through three interim city managers in about two years. Capparelli lasted roughly two and a half years, then resigned in June 2023 after the council rejected his request for a contract extension. Finance Director Kevin Sing served as interim manager until Beatty started that December. The nationwide search that produced Beatty was framed by the council as a push for long-term leadership after that churn.