Pinetop Lakeside — The Town Council conducted public, timed interviews with the two finalists for town manager and then moved into an executive session to discuss and possibly appoint the new manager.

During the public portion, candidates answered the same set of predetermined questions supplied 24 hours earlier. Christie Salsco, one finalist, emphasized ethical transparency and described a recent incident in which she discovered a project had exceeded the council-approved amount by about $26,000 and brought the discrepancy back to council for correction. Salsco said that situational leadership, community engagement and partnerships with local business are central to her approach; she proposed forming citizen-business committees to help guide economic development while preserving the town’s small‑town character.

The second finalist, identified in the public record only by the first name Jack, described a collaborative leadership style that becomes more directive during implementation. Jack framed the town manager role as a communication link between council, staff and residents, and emphasized multi-year financial planning (a five-year forecast) to manage the volatility associated with a sales-tax-dependent revenue base.

Public commenters and local business leaders attended the meeting and urged the council to prioritize candidates who understand local relationships and who will support local businesses. Mike Maffenbier, president of the Chamber of Commerce for Pinetop Lakeside, thanked the hiring committee and urged consideration of candidates who will be active in the community.

After the public interviews, a council member moved to go into executive session to discuss the appointment of a town manager under the state statutes cited aloud by the mayor; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously by raised hands. The council did not record a public vote on an appointment before adjourning the open session.

Next steps: the council entered executive session to discuss appointment and possible action on the town manager position; no public appointment or contract action was announced in open session.