City manager’s office schedules candidate interviews; commission to meet individually on city attorney finalists

Jerome Post, director of human resources, updated the commission May 6 on the city attorney recruitment process.

Post said the position was posted Jan. 15–Feb. 15 and extended to March 2; a search committee narrowed the pool to 14 virtual interviews, then to seven in-person. Three of the seven withdrew on April 29; the committee interviewed four candidates in person and recommended three for commission interviews: Alexander Boxner, James Saunders and Dwayne Spence. The candidates were asked to hold May 20; the commission discussed whether to interview collectively in public, as a conference item, or to arrange one-on-one interviews with each commissioner.

Commissioners expressed preference for one-on-one interviews to allow detailed follow-up questions, noting the commission previously used both private and public interviews in past senior hires. Vice Mayor (name in transcript: not specified) said he preferred one-on-one interviews and requested the process be pushed to June so he can participate. Commissioners agreed to schedule one-on-one meetings with finalists and hold a conference meeting on June 3 for commissioners to report out and decide whether to move forward with hiring.

Post said three candidates who withdrew cited other employment offers. The commission did not take a hiring vote during the May 6 meeting and directed staff to schedule the one-on-one interviews before the June 3 conference item and to provide the candidate resumes and any additional background materials for review.