Cape City Council narrows manager search

The Cape Girardeau City Council hopes to choose from among three finalists for a new city manager, two fewer than originally planned.

The council, meeting behind closed doors Monday night, chose three finalists and an alternate from among 61 applicants.

Mayor Jay Knudtson said Tuesday that the council plans to bring the three finalists to the city for separate interviews in the next several weeks. The daylong visits will include meetings with department heads and interviews with the entire city council.

The alternate won't be interviewed unless one of the three finalists withdraws.

All the candidates are men, Knudtson said.

Last week, Knudtson said the council would consider narrowing the search to five finalists. But the mayor said council members concluded that three of the candidates were "heads and shoulders above the rest."

However, Tuesday night Knudtson said finalist names won't be released because one candidate objected.

He had previously said the names wouldn't be made public unless all the finalists agreed to it. He said the council doesn't want the job search to create any problems between applicants and their current employers.

Hiring by Sept. 15

The council plans to hire a new city manager by Sept. 15. The new manager will replace Michael Miller, who was fired as city manager on May 30.

The council cited differences between Miller and the city council and the desire to hire someone who would take a more visible leadership role.

Miller received $20,990 in severance pay, an amount equal to three months of his $83,962 annual salary.

Knudtson said at the time that the council wanted city administrators and employees to recognize that "citizens are their boss."

In the interim, public works director Doug Leslie has been serving as city manager. He also was among the original 61 applicants for the permanent job.

Leslie, who has worked for the city for the past 13 years, also served as interim city manager for three months in 1995 before Miller was hired.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123