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Council tables city clerk hiring and debates short‑term mentoring arrangement
Summary
Council tabled posting and formation of a hiring committee for the city clerk position pending revision of the job description; community member Cynthia Stimson described recent mentoring work and offered a temporary reappointment option while training a replacement.
The Fairfax City Council voted to table the posting of the city clerk position and formation of a hiring committee so the job description can be revised and staff can provide accurate information before recruitment.
A citizen who identified herself as Cynthia Stimson addressed the council about current operations, detailing several daily and recurring clerk responsibilities she said she had assisted with in recent days. "These are the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual tasks that the city clerk is responsible for with the assistance of other city hall staff," Cynthia Stimson said, describing minutes, payroll, tax filings and other procedural tasks she had worked on.
Stimson proposed a temporary reappointment to maintain continuity: “Effective immediately, you could reappoint me as city clerk treasurer with the knowledge that I will retire by June 30… It will get you through the budget,” she said, emphasizing continuity and training time for a replacement.
Council members said the job description needs revision before any formal posting. One council member said they could not make a motion for reappointment at this special meeting because reappointment procedures and legal guidance would be required; the mayor said attorney input would be sought before any reappointment conversation.
Councilmember discussion produced a motion to table the hiring committee and the job posting; the chair recorded the outcome as five ayes to the motion to table. The council clarified that continuing mentoring on an as‑needed, invoiced basis could proceed without a contract if the council approves it by motion; several members supported continued mentoring pending a potential separate meeting to consider reappointment.
The council asked staff to revise the job description, plan outreach channels for a posting (city website, legal notices, Indeed/LinkedIn) and determine next steps for scheduling a special meeting to consider reappointment or final hiring actions.
Next procedural steps: staff will update the job description, and the council will consider the posting and any possible reappointment at a future meeting after attorney review and public notice.
