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City manager search: Morton says 43 applications so far; council weighs outside recruiter and a $250k–$300k salary range
Summary
City Manager Richard Morton updated the council that 43 people have applied for the open city manager position, about half have prior city‑manager experience, and staff will continue screening. Morton said an outside search firm could be retained for roughly $25,000–$30,000 if council wants that service.
City Manager Richard Morton updated the Odessa City Council on Feb. 25 about the ongoing national search for a new city manager: he said the city has received 43 total applications and that roughly 21 of those applicants have previous city‑manager experience while 22 do not.
Morton said the posting remains open and that many experienced city managers wait until a search closes to apply because they are employed elsewhere. He said staff and HR are screening resumes and that he has asked HR to flag candidates by experience, current employer, the population served by their current jurisdiction and tenure so the city manager’s office can do a focused review.
Morton said he has used SGR’s a la carte services for outreach, including a mass email to the profession paid by the city, and that the city can engage a recruiter if desired. He told council an outside executive search firm (SGR was discussed as an example) quoted a fee in the $25,000 to $30,000 range to run a national recruitment. Morton said he has already paid roughly $500 for targeted outreach via a database service used to notify potential candidates.
Council members discussed salary and recruitment strategy. Morton said the posted salary range has been set at $250,000 to $300,000 to be competitive and that he will continue to use targeted outreach and screening; he also said he can perform much of the screening and initial vetting in‑house. Morton flagged that an outside recruiter has broader reach as a potential benefit but said he has experience successfully managing such searches for other cities.
Ending: Morton said he will continue screening applicants, return with a narrowed list when the posting closes, and that he can use a recruiting firm on an as‑needed basis if council requests that option.
