Columbia City Council voted Tuesday night to hire assistant city manager Teresa Wilson as city manager at a salary of $190,000 a year, along with a car.

The 38-year-old Wilson’s hiring was approved in a 4-2 vote.

Earlier, two members had said Wilson, who had never been a city manager elsewhere, lacked the experience to be manager of the state’s capital city.

Columbia has 2,200 employees and a total budget this year of more than $200 million.

Council members Moe Baddourah and Leona Plaugh – herself a former city manager – provided the “no” votes.

Baddourah said he could not support the contract because Wilson was going to get a salary substantially higher that that of the far more experienced current city manager Steve Gantt, who makes $175,000 a year.

Council also formally voted to conclude the contract of current city manager Gantt.

“It's a sad day but it's a happy day for him,” Plaugh said of Gantt’s retirement.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine was not present.