FAIRMONT — Fairmont’s search for a city manager is doing an about face.
A slate of new finalists will now be presented to the public in December. The change in process comes after the city decided to re-open applications for the city manager position. The current round of applicants was dismissed after failing to meet the criteria set by the search committee, City administration and Council.
Prior to the current crop of candidates falling through, the city kept the search process under wraps, out of previous experience the city had with candidates who were hesitant to participate in a public process out of fear their current employers would find out they were job seeking.
“We heard the feedback, we’re being as transparent as we can for the candidates and communicating things very clearly,” Mayor Anne Bolyard said. “So yes, we’ve evolved, sharing information that the citizens do need to know. We are moving forward, we are holding ourselves accountable to this timeline to show that this is a very important hire. This person is the executive, the lead for the city of Fairmont.”
Bolyard said that the city is looking for candidates with more experience specific to being a city manager, whether it’s a similar position in another governmental agency or specific to the job as a city manager. She added that the first round of the search included 32 candidates with great experience, but that a significant amount of those experiences did not meet what the city needs in a manager.
“The general description of a city manager is that she or he is the liaison between Council, the citizens,” Bolyard said. “They have experience in day to day operations of municipality that includes all the departments. That includes the finances of the municipality, those all have certain nuances that you wouldn’t find in industry or business. There’s federal regulations. There’s the city code, there’s the state code, there’s the charter. So those layers and considerations are very different from someone that runs a Fortune 500 company.”
Out of the 32 applications the city received, 15 candidates were reviewed by the search committee, according to a press release the City issued Wednesday. Four finalists were selected, however two withdrew their applications. After Council and the different City department heads interviewed the top candidate, they made the decision to start the search over.
The second round of applications will feature a new, expanded job description and will be open for a longer period of time than the previous search. Bolyard said the previous search overwhelmed the committee, who needed more time to properly review applications as well as give candidates time to build a proper application.
The new requirements call for five years of progressively responsible managerial experience at a senior level in a governmental entity, preferably as a city manager, county administrator or similar position at a government agency. It also calls for a four year degree in public administration, public policy, business or related field, which is preferred but not required. The candidate must also be willing to move to Fairmont for the job, within city limits.
The posting closes Nov. 17 at 4:30 p.m. On Dec. 21, the finalists will be presented at an open session of City Council. Bolyard said she hopes that by mid-January, the City will select its next manager.
“Someone that is committed to live, work, celebrate and lead the city of Fairmont is a condition and a requirement for this position,” Bolyard said.
The search began before former city manager Valerie Means announced she was retiring in September. Means, the city’s first female city manager, came on board in the spring of 2019.
