“He’s got passion for his job,” Mayor Bill Flaute said. “He loves the people in this city and he will add value to this city.”
Council members Shirley Reynolds and Steve Fullenkamp voted against Carpenter’s appointment.
“I’m voting no on this appointment, but I’m voting no because of the process we used,” said Reynolds, who cited Carpenter’s lack of a master’s degree in public administration nor other qualifications listed in the original job posting.
Added Fullenkamp, “I want a city manager who doesn’t have to use training wheels, and that’s what I think we’re walking into.”
Carpenter was appointed in July after a search for a permanent manager failed and then-interim manager James Percival resigned.
He is the fourth manager this year, following a resignation by Bryan Chodkowski in January and a brief interim term by then-Assistant City Manager Emily Christian, who has since taken a position in Miamisburg.
The national search for a new manager yielded about 30 candidates and several finalists, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The appointment came during a busy night in the Riverside council chambers. Earlier in the evening, council members voted to forgo a vote to remove Fullenkamp from council.
The city council additionally voted to enact a one-year moratorium on the issuance and processing of any permits for medical marijuana.
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