“City council and our human resources specialist spent a lot of time reading and evaluating each firm,” Bales said. “It was the consensus of council that Colin Baenziger & Associates gave us the most thorough proposal meeting council’s needs.”
Bales said the firm will be hired at a cost of around $24,000, although he noted he did not immediately recall as he has attempted to separate himself from the search. Bales intends to apply for the position.
The search will be conducted on a national scale.
The vacancy for the city's top executive was first reported by the Dayton Daily News on Sept. 6, when incumbent manager Deborah McDonnell confirmed she had accepted a job as city administrator in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., near family. McDonnell earned gross pay of $143,544 in 2015, according to the newspaper's I-Team Payroll Project. She began her term as city manager in 2007.
After negotiations are finalized, the Florida-based search firm will travel to Fairborn to meet with the city council.
“They’re going to determine what council desires, what attributes they’re looking for for the next city manager so the firm can put together a successful recruiting package,” Bales said. “They’re also going to be collecting information about the city.”
City leaders have expressed an interest in ensuring community members have input in the process. Council will make a final hiring decision after in-person interviews, Bales said. The process is expected to take approximately 90 days, with a new city manager possibly selected by late February or early March.
Councilwoman Marilyn McCauley expressed confidence in the firm’s ability to conduct a successful search and reiterated the importance of the decisions ahead.
“They’ve had a pretty good background of city manager searches and other senior level searches, so I feel confident that they’ll be able to get the job done for us,” she said. “I think bringing in this search firm is key to the city’s future.”
About the Author