City Administrator
Centralia uses the Mayor/Board/Administrator structure of government as set forth in the Missouri State Statues for Fourth Class Cities. The City Administrator is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. He or she has general superintending control of the administration and management of the government business, officers and employees of the City, subject to the direction and supervision of the Mayor. The City Administrator provides research and staff support for the Board of Aldermen, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and several other boards, commissions, and committees.
The City Administrator hires and supervises all city employees, except for those in the Fire Department and the appointive positions of City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Treasurer. He or she formulates and administers most of the day-to-day rules and procedures for City operations and is directly responsible for creation and implementation of the annual City Budget. The City Administrator oversees purchasing, contracting, and personnel administration. By City Code, the Administrator may function as the City Planner, City Building Inspector, City Engineer, City Traffic Engineer, Financial Secretary of the Water and Light Departments, and in numerous other roles. In practice, some of these duties are delegated or contracted to other agencies.
The City Administrator frequently represents the City at meetings of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, Regional Economic Development, Inc., the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Mid-Missouri Purchasing Cooperative, the Missouri Public Utilities Alliance, the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission, and the Missouri Municipal League.
Tara Strain was appointed Centralia's City Administrator on August 29, 2022. Before she was hired as City Administrator, Tara served Centralia in the office of City Clerk and City Collector for 4 years. Tara received a B.S. in Business Management from Western Governors University in 2021 and has many years experience working in county and city government. Tara and her family have lived in central Missouri for many years and relocated to Centralia in 2010.
