Wichita City Council votes 5-2 to offer city manager job to Dennis Marstall

The Wichita City Council voted 5-2 to offer the city manager position to Dennis Marstall, a county administrator for Lancaster County, S.C.

The vote came as council member Brandon Johnson raised concerns about undue influence in the hiring process.

Marstall was one of two remaining finalists for the position after assistant city manager Donte Martin withdrew on Friday without citing a reason.

“I am honored to be selected as the next city manager,” Marstall said in a statement to The Eagle. “I look forward to working with the mayor and city council, plus the city workforce and entire community. My family and I are truly excited about becoming a part of the vibrant Wichita community.”

Johnson and Mike Hoheisel voted against offering the job to Marstall.

“I am deeply concerned about this process,” Johnson said during the council meeting. “I will not be supporting either finalist moving forward.”

“I am concerned about potential undue influence by elected officials on the process and potentially the selection committee,” he said. “I am concerned about an expectation that immediately excludes one of the finalists. I am concerned about how finalists were scored. I am concerned about significant differences between one group versus the others within the process.

“I honestly believe that we should stop the process now, clearly state the expectations that the council was looking for all of them and go back out on search. I believe that when that occurs, all elected members of this body should abide by what was outlined and refrain from speaking with any member of the selection committee until they have completed their piece of the process. Lastly, my hope is that the information we receive as a council, specifically, the summary of input document, be made public going forward.”

Johnson would not provide more details when asked after the meeting.

Mayor Lily Wu voted to hire Marstall.

“Mr. Marstall brings with him multiple different experiences, from local government to nonprofit sector and from smaller communities to larger communities, including a large metropolitan city,” Wu said. “And so I am really grateful that this process allowed for someone that will bring a new perspective and leadership into Wichita.”

Marstall has been the county administrator for Lancaster County, S.C., since 2021. Lancaster County is in the far north part of the state, directly south of Charlotte, N.C.

Marstall lists Manhattan, Kan., as his hometown, and he worked as an assistant city manager there before going to South Carolina.

Wu was joined by council members JV Johnston, Dalton Glasscock, Becky Tuttle and Maggie Ballard.

Martin’s withdrawal on Friday called into question whether the city would select one of the remaining finalists or start the search over.

“I spent some time over the weekend talking to current city managers and past city managers because I wanted to get their expertise on this process, working in this field,” Tuttle said. “And all of them recommended that proceeding with a current candidate in this pool would be their recommendation, and with that I’ll be supportive today.”

The vote Tuesday clears the way for contract negotiations to begin with Marstall. The council is scheduled to vote on that contract at its Dec. 2 meeting. His annual pay is not yet known.

This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM.