Council authorizes small subcommittee to interview interim city manager candidates

Sammamish City Council authorized a subcommittee on June 2 to interview potential interim city manager candidates identified through contact with executive search firms and to return recommendations and ranked finalists to the full council.

Deputy City Manager briefed council that the pool of available interim candidates can be limited during summer months and that candidates for interim service commonly expect a compact interview process rather than an extended public recruitment campaign. The city reached out to multiple firms and identified a short list of potential interims; some candidates would require relocation or housing assistance and others would be able to serve locally.

Council discussed interview logistics. Staff recommended a small-panel interview approach to avoid losing candidates to other opportunities and asked that at least one department director join the panel so finalists are assessed for operational fit. Council Member Train and others said they favored the subcommittee interviews followed by executive-session review of qualifications and a public vote by the full council on a recommended interim.

Council voted unanimously to authorize the subcommittee to proceed, with direction that the subcommittee return a recommendation (or recommendations) to the full council for final consideration.

What’s next: the authorized subcommittee will conduct interviews, the panel will provide a ranked recommendation, and the full council will consider finalists and make a final appointment; staff will include director participation in interview panels to test operational fit.