Homewood committee interviews candidates for first city manager as city prepares government change

A five-member committee appointed by the Homewood City Council interviewed candidates for Homewood’s first city manager position in a public, livestreamed session conducted under the Alabama Open Meetings Act.

The committee questioned two candidates in detail: Josh, identified in the interview as director of development services for Jefferson County, and Chase Wagner, a candidate who described himself as a former city manager and fire chief. Committee members said the hire is intended to bridge the city’s operations now until a newly elected mayor and smaller council take office after an August municipal election and the November 1 transition tied to a September referendum that changed Homewood’s form of government.

The interviews focused on candidates’ executive experience, approaches to financial management and risk assessment, and early priorities if hired. Councilor Nick Sims (Ward 3, Place 1) asked both candidates for their executive-level credentials and how they would oversee local government operations; both described multi-jurisdiction experience overseeing planning, permitting, utilities and budgets.

Councilor Guatney pressed for specifics on financial oversight. Josh said he oversees planning, zoning, building-code plan review, GIS and demolitions for Jefferson County and emphasized frequent financial reporting and five-year projections tied to ad valorem projections. Chase Wagner said his priorities would include making a balanced budget, developing long-term equipment replacement schedules and using past budgets as baselines to avoid surprise capital requests.

Risk assessment was a second major theme. Councilor Carlos Lamay asked how candidates identify and mitigate city risks. Josh said he uses a risk-assessment matrix adapted from military practice to catalog risks by likelihood and impact and to work with department heads and legal counsel to quantify exposure. Wagner highlighted preventive steps such as taking free inspections from state agencies, strengthening human-resources practices to limit legal liability, and maintaining frequent contact with the city attorney.

Several councilors raised organizational issues they expect the first city manager to address. Councilor Barry Smith, who chaired the interview, described Homewood as about 26,000 people in roughly eight-and-a-half square miles with “just south of $70,000,000” annual operating budget and roughly 350 full- and part-time employees; he said departments currently operate with decentralized personnel procedures. Councilor Jennifer Anderson (Ward 5, Place 1) and others said the city lacks a centralized human-resources office and is beginning to outsource payroll; they want the new manager to standardize onboarding, centralize purchasing and establish performance metrics.

Wagner said one of his early priorities would be to meet department heads and staff and to “trust but verify” by validating processes, establishing key performance indicators and avoiding sweeping changes in the first three months unless illegal, unethical or wasteful practices emerge. He added, “I prefer to make as little changes as possible in that 1st 3 month period unless I'm seeing something that is illegal, unethical, or a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Committee members also emphasized public education about the change in government. Smith and other councilors said they want the city manager to help explain the new form of government to residents and to use regular public-facing outreach. Smith described a neighboring manager’s approach of intentionally meeting with schools and community groups as an example to follow.

Next steps explained during the meeting: the committee will narrow the candidate list, invite top candidates to Homewood for in-person meetings with department heads, the mayor and the full council, and hopes to have someone in place by March 1 so the appointee can begin working before the November transition. The committee said it will pass a resolution to authorize the hire at an upcoming Monday meeting; that procedural step must meet the city’s timing requirement of being no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the appointee’s start date, according to comments in the interview.

Committee members did not take a formal vote during the interview itself; they said additional interviews are scheduled and deliberations will follow.