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Medford council delegates routine hiring authority to interim city manager
Summary
The Medford City Council voted to let the interim city manager make routine hiring and firing decisions for positions up to department director level, a move staff said will prevent operational delays during the recruitment for a permanent manager.
The Medford City Council voted to approve council bill 2025-99 on Dec. 3, delegating limited hiring and firing authority to the city manager pro tem for routine, rank-and-file positions and for personnel actions short of final approval for department heads.
City Attorney Eric Minton told the council that, under the city charter, an interim city manager lacks final authority to hire or fire without council sign-off, which could force council action on routine matters and delay hiring. He said the delegation would retain council oversight for high-level positions by routing finalists to an executive session for council direction and final action.
"Without any sort of council action, what this could look like is every single routine hiring or termination would require council action that would add weeks to the process," Minton said. He described the proposed approach as a continuation of past interim-period practice that allows departments to function while preserving council review of senior appointments.
Nick Card moved to approve the ordinance and Kevin Keating seconded. A roll call produced seven yes votes and the motion passed.
The change applies during the interim city manager period and is intended to speed routine operational hiring (for example, public works laborers and seasonal lifeguard positions) while keeping council involvement for department director selections. The council did not attach additional qualifications or a sunset beyond the interim manager context.
Council members said the delegation reflects a balance between efficient administration and council oversight during a leadership transition; staff and legal counsel will follow the charter’s executive-session and finalist-briefing procedures before bringing any recommended department head appointment back to the dais for final approval.
