Jim Bodenmiller
Bodenmiller was City Manager, retired, and was hired back as Human Resources Director. He now double dips thanks to a process called OPERS that Ohio not only legalized, but encourages. He also double-dipped as City Manager.
8/8/20252 min read
Take a gander at this freeloader....
In 2019, James Bodenmiller earned $137,014 by working as the City Manager at the City of Springfield. He had served in the role for 10 years when he retired in January 2019.
Bodenmiller's salary was 264% higher than average City of Springfield salary and 265% higher than median City of Springfield salary in 2019.
In June 2022, Heck hired him back as Human Resources Director at $141,000. Someone named Jeffrey Rodgers making $147,000 must have left.
Bodenmiller, at age 60 in 2022, was now making more than he made as City Manager. He oversees four people and the city payroll (??I think. I do know it's outsourced.)
So, the big question is how many income streams does he have? Paid for a new HR job, paid for retirement, and could be getting Social Security already, too. Why not? Ohio is one of the few states that not only allows this but seems to encourage it (of course). AI's answer: "Yes! You can typically work and collect retirement as a city employee in Ohio, but re-employment can affect your benefits, with rules varying by age and the specific pension system."
The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System website: https://www.opers.org/retirees/re-employment/
Also a Double-Dipper as City Manager
While in the City Manager job from 2010-2019 (10 years) he had both a Deputy City Manager (Heck) and an Assistant City Manager (Franzen).
Bodenmiller was the only City Manager to have both, until Heck hired Logan Cobbs back in 2021 and put her in the role (took her out quickly and put her in Community Dev Director role leaving the Deputy City Manager role vacant as of October 2025- and it's not listed as a job opening).
**Granted, according to an AI search, there are some differences in the two roles, how did/has every other City Manager survived without a Deputy? The Assistant City Manager job in Springfield has been "Assistant City Manager/Economic Development Director" as long as Franzens's been in the role (since 2013).
So, the cost for just 2014-2019 (as far back as online payroll data goes):
2014 - Heck $62,850 --- Franzen $109,344 = $172,194
2015 - Heck $72,864 --- Franzen $111,765 = $184,629
2016 - Heck $77,569 --- Franzen $112,941 = $190,510
2017 - Heck $83,144 --- Franzen $114,487 = $197,631
2018 - Heck $93,742 --- Franzen $121,453 = $214,925
2019 - Heck became City manager at $126K and Franzen kept on in his job at $135,092.