Indian engineer heads county government

RAYTOWN, MO — Mahesh Sharma, a city administrator in Raytown, Missouri, a Kansas City suburb, has been chosen to lead the county government by Scott County supervisors.

The supervisors came to an agreement with the Indian American engineer on May 4, according to board chairman Jim Hancock. It was ratified on May 5. Sharma’s appointment ended the search to replace Dee Bruemmer, who had led the county government since 2008.

Sharma is expected to take over the post on July 5, with an annual salary of $172,000. Bruemmer is scheduled to retire in June.

In his Raytown position, Sharma manages a staff of 224 people with a $30- million budget, according to the county.

The native of Jodhpur, India, topped 25 other candidates for the appointment, ultimately being selected over finalists from Muscatine and Galesburg, Ill..

A graduate of MBM Engineering College in Jodhpur, earning a bachelor’s in civil engineering; the University of Missouri Columbia, earning a master’s in civil engineering; and the University of Kansas, earning a master’s in public administration, Sharma has been with Raytown since June 2007. Initially the director of public works, he took over as city administrator in January 2008.

Sharma has nearly 20 years of public service in local government. Prior to Raytown, Sharma was the director of public works and city engineer in Raymore, Mo., the acting city engineer and assistant city engineer at the city of Lenexa, Kan., and the director of public works for the city of Saint Charles, Mo.

He is a member of the International City/County Management Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association.

According to Sharma, the movement from city administrator to a county-level position is part of a natural career progression.

Among his priorities are to talk with the Scott County government officials and community members, as well as be cognizant of the county’s mental health funding issues. He is prepared to actively work with state lawmakers to try to resolve them.