Council pauses national search for city manager, asks staff to consider interim manager Greg Caton

Scottsdale City Council on March 18 moved to pause a planned national recruitment for the city manager position and directed staff to schedule an item for a future meeting to consider appointing Interim City Manager Greg Caton to the post.

City Human Resources staff had presented a recommendation to contract with Ralph Anderson & Associates to conduct a national search for a permanent city manager. That firm previously managed the city’s assistant city manager recruitment. The city manager recruitment was budgeted at approximately $64,000 in the presented proposal.

Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield offered an alternate motion to table the item and request staff agendize consideration of appointing Greg Caton as permanent city manager. Littlefield said Caton had “done a superb job” as interim manager and urged the council to consider him before proceeding with an outside search. Several council members supported a national search as the usual practice for an office of this scope, while others emphasized the advantages of examining the interim manager’s candidacy. After discussion the council voted to table the contract award and direct staff to place the consideration of Caton’s appointment on a future council agenda and executive session.

Ending Council members stressed the importance of selecting a city manager well suited to lead Scottsdale — a city of roughly 240,000 residents and 11 million annual visitors — and asked staff to bring the matter back for further consideration and executive‑session review.