The Juneau Assembly will undertake an expedited search for a new city manager to replace the retiring Rod Swope.
At its Committee of the Whole meeting last night (Monday), the assembly decided to only advertise the position in Alaska, and set the deadline for applications for December 1st – one month from today. The assembly will then take two weeks to narrow the list of applicants down to a top five. Interviews will take place in January, with the goal of offering the job to the chosen candidate on January 30th.
Mayor Bruce Botelho said the timeline should be manageable.
“I don’t think we’re going to be overwhelmed if we keep to our decision to recruit only within the state,” Botelho said.
The assembly also decided on a salary range of 135-thousand to 150-thousand dollars. That’s at the low end of what municipal managers typically make in Alaska.
Swope first retired almost three years ago. But when the initial search fizzled, the assembly asked him to come back on a two-year contract, which was due to end yesterday. Last month, Swope agreed to stay on through March 31st, when he says he’ll retire for good.
Deputy Manager Kim Kiefer has expressed interest in the position. She was interim manager during Swope’s sabbatical.
City Manager and City Attorney are the only positions hired by the assembly.
