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Montpelier candidates say city manager search must be deliberate and public
Summary
City council candidates at a Montpelier Rotary forum said replacing the city manager — who is expected to leave in June — is the city’s most urgent task and urged a transparent, community-informed search process.
Montpelier City Council candidates meeting at a Rotary forum said the replacement of the city manager — who the candidates said is expected to finish in June (date not specified) — should be handled deliberately with broad community input.
Candidates repeatedly called the search “the most important and urgent question for us now.” Mark Gwynn, a District 2 candidate, said the process will “send messages out to that future candidate” about the kind of place Montpelier is and urged the city to present a collaborative, supportive image for applicants.
Why this matters: The city manager is the chief executive of city government and will shape daily operations, hiring, budgeting and the city’s approach to recovery work following recent floods. Candidates said the council’s approach to the search will influence prospective applicants’ decisions to consider Montpelier.
How candidates said the city should proceed varied but shared common themes. Pelin Khan, the incumbent District 2 councilor, urged public input and the use of a professional recruitment firm, saying the process should be inclusive and bring stakeholders together to define desired skills and experience. Jim Sheridan, a candidate for District 3 and a former council member, emphasized that experience working with a manager matters: he cited his 12 years on council and said he hopes “to get somebody that has passion, has vision, and wants to work with the council to move the city forward.”
Ben Doyle, a District 1 candidate, said Montpelier should do its homework and draw on best practices used by other Vermont municipalities, including the League of Cities and Towns and communities that have completed successful searches.
All candidates said tone and transparency in public discussion matter for recruitment. Doyle warned that prospective candidates “will Google Montpelier” and look for evidence of a stable, welcoming environment; Gwynn echoed that the search will communicate the city’s priorities to potential applicants.
What happens next: Candidates urged the council to create an inclusive process — with public input, clear selection criteria, and professional hiring assistance — but did not lay out a single agreed procedure or timeline. The council has not announced a final hiring plan in the forum record provided.
The forum noted only that the current manager is expected to finish his term in June; no specific end date or severance details were specified during the discussion.
