Recruiter: tight market but early candidate interest for South Lyon city manager; council urged civility to retain hires

Walsh Municipal Services representative Frank Walsh updated South Lyon councilors on the city manager search, saying the recruitment climate in Michigan is tight and relocation is a significant barrier for many prospective candidates.

Walsh described his firm’s direct recruitment approach and said the council’s community profile went out last week; he reported an early response of roughly 12–13 candidates in the first week and said he expects to attract 20–25 applicants overall, with 3–5 serious candidates likely to advance. He identified a likely application deadline of Dec. 12 and said confidential candidate vetting would occur in a closed session under the Michigan Open Meetings Act for candidates who request confidentiality.

Council member Kurzweil pushed back on Walsh’s suggestion that interest rates were a primary reason candidates decline to relocate, arguing instead that governance instability and hostile council dynamics are often what deter candidates. “If you have a city council that doesn't have their act together… That city manager is not gonna stay,” Kurzweil said, urging attention to civility and long-term retention.

Walsh acknowledged the concern and said his team would continue direct outreach and vetting and remain positive about recruiting competitive candidates within the salary range provided by the council.

Next steps: Walsh expects to deliver a confidential slate of candidates for council consideration in January and will provide resumes and candidate questionnaires for each finalist; the council will consider candidates in closed session where permitted.