Council debate over city manager search ends with sponsor withdrawing resolution

Councilman Kevin Burns introduced a resolution asking the City Council to initiate a statewide or nationwide search for a permanent city manager and to begin the recruitment process.

Council members broadly agreed the city needs a permanent manager after a period of interim leadership, but several members said the item should have been discussed as a planning discussion and coordinated with the mayor before being brought as a resolution. Concerns raised included the job description, minimum municipal experience requirements and whether the posted salary remained competitive; one council member asked staff to revisit the job advertisement to include years of municipal experience and to update the salary to attract qualified candidates.

Several councilors said they preferred a public discussion session to refine candidate qualifications and to consider local and regional recruitment before launching a national search. The city attorney explained the staff and charter process for recruitment.

Burns said he wanted a national search to avoid repeating past controversies; the mayor and several colleagues said they supported the concept of a search but preferred to schedule a discussion so the whole council could weigh in on job scope, advertising language and compensation. Burns agreed to withdraw the resolution and the sponsor and the mayor asked staff to schedule a discussion item at a near‑future council meeting so the body can set direction together.

No formal vote on a recruitment resolution occurred because the sponsor withdrew the motion; staff committed to return the item as a discussion and then, if the council directs, present a revised resolution.