Sunday, May 5, 2024
Gatesville City Council members made an important step forward in the city manager selection process during a special meeting Jan. 31, narrowing the list to seven semifinalists for the position.
“We started out with 31 candidates who applied for the job, and it was narrowed down to the top 12, and then to seven semifinalists,” said Mayor Gary Chumley. Assisting the city with the process is Strategic Government Resources, the search firm that recently helped with the selection of a police chief in January.
Chumley said each of the seven semifinalists has experience working in either city administration or the military sector in Texas.
“We were looking at their experience level and the size of the communities where they have been employed,” Chumley said. “Each has something different to bring to the table. Some have been at smaller communities and were looking to ramp it up to the next level.”
Chumley said the Council meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and participants were able to take part online via Zoom.
“The next step is questions will be given to the candidates to answer in online interviews, and they will have until February 15th,” Chumley said. “Sometime between the 15th and 17th we will discuss the results and narrow it down to three to five finalists.”
Those finalists will be invited to participate in a meet and greet event with the community similar to the one held in January for the police chief finalists.
Current City Manager Bill Parry’s contract with the city will end Feb. 28, and it will take some time for the new city manager to give notice to their current employer and relocate to Gatesville.
Chumley said he hopes that Parry will continue with the city on an interim basis during the transition.
“In all likelihood we will retain Bill Parry as a consultant to help maintain the city’s day to day operations until the new city manager can start,” Chumley said.
