City manager candidates down to two

By Emily Ford

eford@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The City Council has narrowed the field of city manager candidates to two, Mayor Paul Woodson said.

Interviews are complete, and council members are deliberating which candidate will receive an offer, Woodson said.

In all, the city’s elected officials have interviewed five finalists.

“Out of that five, we had four good ones,” Woodson said.

The top two candidates were invited to return for second interviews, Woodson said. Council members have been deliberating in closed session, allowable under state law as a personnel matter.

Woodson said they have no deadline to have a new city manager in place.

“We just don’t want to rush anything,” he said.

The council went into closed session again Tuesday but took no action. Recently, the council has met in closed session Jan. 11, 12, 17 and Feb. 1.

The city’s recruitment firm, Richmond, Va.-based Springsted Inc., recruited and screened 70 applicants from 23 states. The city will pay Springsted $15,700 for the search.

“I was a little concerned about hiring a search firm, but they’ve done an excellent job,” Woodson said. “I was very impressed.”

The new city manager will replace David Treme, who served in the position for more than 25 years. Assistant City Manager Doug Paris was promoted to interim city manager during the search process.

As interim city manager, Paris is leading the search for another key city position, a new director for the city’s broadband utility. If a new city manager is named first, he or she will hire the new Fibrant director.

Jim Behmer, who is in charge of the city’s water and sewer utility, has been filling in as interim Fibrant director.

Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.