ADRIAN — Adrian city commissioners discussed the hiring process for the next city administrator at their Feb. 17 meeting.
Commissioner Bob Behnke, who is also a retired Adrian Public Schools superintendent, reported on some of his research, including best practices information from the International City/County Management Association.
“This is probably one of the most important decisions that a local governing body makes,” Behnke said.
Although city commissioners could just update the job listing from when the administrator’s role was last posted in 2020 and manage the hiring process themselves, Behnke said, “that is probably not the best practice.”
He recommended interviewing multiple search firms to find one that will get to know the city and that has a large list of contacts who are interested in city administrator positions. That firm could also help gather input from stakeholders such as residents, city employees, and business owners, he said.
Behnke said the commission will need to consider many questions, including:
- Is the current position description accurate?
- What process should be used for evaluating the city administrator, and should it be created before the position is filled?
- What support systems does the commission want to provide the new administrator with when they start work?
- Should there be a merit-based or goal-driven portion to the administrator’s pay?
Heather Lasky, the city’s human resources director, reported that she reached out to some of her human resources colleagues across Michigan and compiled a list of the most often-hired search firms. She said she also received some valuable feedback from those colleagues on firms they have worked with in the past.
Commissioner Kelly Castleberry wondered if there is anyone currently working for the city who is interested in the position. “I want somebody that wants to be in my community,” she said, adding that while Behnke is an example of somebody who came from outside Adrian to take an administrative job and ended up staying and becoming part of the community, that doesn’t always happen when hiring from outside.
Mayor Angela Sword Heath asked Lasky if she would be able to gauge whether any current employees are interested in seeking the job. Lasky said she could do so, either formally or informally.
Behnke, however, said he would caution against skipping the stakeholder input part of the process. He also said that when splitting a recruitment process between internal and external postings, there are possible morale issues to consider.
Commissioner Gordon Gauss commented that in order for the process to move quickly but also be done diligently, the commission will need to have some special meetings.
“We can’t wait for two meetings a month,” he said. “We’ll never get the job done.”
Former city administrator Greg Elliott stepped down at the end of January, and police chief Vince Emrick was appointed acting city administrator on Feb. 3.
