After more than a year, the Town of Munster has hired a new Town Manager.

The Town Council last month approved James Marino to serve as its new town manager. He takes over for Patricia Abbott, who’s juggled the town manager and comptroller roles for the town since former Town Manager Dustin Anderson resigned in February 2024.

Marino, who grew up in Calumet City, Illinois, has 35 years of experience in municipal government, including a start in his hometown, where he got his first job after earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, he said in an email. Along with his time in Calumet City, he’s served as Village Manager for the Villages of Dolton, Illinois; Thornton, Illinois; Homewood, Illinois and Crest Hill, Illinois, he said.

As Homewood’s village manager, Marino’s experiences hew closely to projects on which Munster is currently embarking. He initiated an $11 million renovation to Homewood’s Metra commuter train station, he said, as well as led a $1.2 million streetscape project and negotiated development agreements to attract and retain national and local businesses, he said.

“My areas of expertise include economic development, finance and budgeting, infrastructure projects, and project management,” Marino said. “I’m excited to use my experience to help the Town of Munster continue to be a premier community for years to come.”

Marino’s contract runs through 2027 at a salary of $150,000 per year, according to Munster Clerk-Treasurer Wendy Mis.

Anderson who had worked for the Town of Munster since 2014, resigned as Town Manager February 2, 2024 over a fundamental difference in the vision for the town. Anderson was instrumental in helping the town receive a $17.1 million Federal Highway Administration RAISE grant to reconfigure into three lanes from five Munster’s portion of Ridge Road from the Illinois border to the Highland border; the current Town Council has petitioned the agency to keep the road at five lanes.

The Council on October 7 sent the FHWA a letter outlining the changes it wants to make to its grant application, declaring that present and future traffic volumes don’t allow for a three-lane roadway, the Post-Tribune previously reported. But in a report dated October 25 that the Post-Tribune obtained, Abell Gelaye, a design policy/geometrics program manager with the FHWA’s Indiana division, reminded the Town that the project’s purpose is “to enhance safety for both vehicles and pedestrians by transforming the corridor into a walkable downtown destination.”

“… the recommendation in the PE Assessment report for a five-lane section does not address the grant application award,” Gelaye wrote, adding that further justification of the safety benefits may be needed. “We believe the project satisfies the purpose and needs as agreed to by a full range of stakeholders. …

“Given the high competitiveness of this grant, it is essential that all terms and conditions are strictly followed.”

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.