More than seven months after former city manager Sam Finz resigned from the College Park City Council, officials have not filled the position some say is vital to cooperation between the city and university.
Despite receiving more than 50 applications in August 2004 and interviewing a handful of candidates, council members re-advertised the position and started a new search.
The council never set a specific date to fill the position, but District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin previously said he wanted to see a contract signed by the end of last year.
The city hired consultant James Mercer, president of Mercer Group, Inc., to recruit a new manager. Mayor Stephen Brayman said while the search yielded “fine candidates,” it is often a difficult process.
In the new advertisements, the salary ranges from $90,000 to $110,000. They previously advertised $100,000.The city manager conducts the city’s day-to-day operations.
Interim City Manager Joe Nagro took over when Finz’s contract expired in August and said everything has been extremely busy.
“There’s just a lot going on, so it’s not easy to keep up with some things without letting others slide,” he said. “The day-to-day issues you get involved in keep you from staying on top of everything.”
Nagro did not previously apply for the position and would not comment on whether he will now submit an application.
Finz stayed in the city only two years, citing personal reasons and what he called constant interference from the mayor in daily operations for his departure. In 2002, Finz replaced former City Manager Richard Conti, who was forced to resign for undisclosed reasons.
City managers stay in their posts for an average of five years, according to the International City Managers Association. Ideally, that is what the council would like to see, Catlin said.
Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement agreed.“It’s very important to develop relationships,” she said. “We work together on the city-university partnership and issues like housing and private development.”
City-University Student Liaison Drew Vetter has aided in the search and said he is looking for someone who will view students as legitimate contributors to city matters. He does not see a problem with the second search.
“We just didn’t find anyone, and we don’t want to have to settle for a candidate that doesn’t fit our needs,” he said.The council will interview candidates toward the end of February.
