Granite Shoals closer to naming new city manager
GRANITE SHOALS — After spending more than four hours behind closed doors Tuesday, council members emerged and said they are one step closer to naming a new city manager.
"We should be ready to extend an offer (Jan. 11)," Mayor Frank Reilly said. "We’re getting pretty close to coming to a conclusion."
The council held a special meeting Tuesday to confer with a search consultant and then interviewed a single candidate for three hours.
The city began its search for a permanent city manager in June after interim City Manager John Gayle stepped down, citing family reasons. Gayle held the post for more than four years.
John Hatchel was hired in June as the new interim city manager.
The city contracted with Jim Ray of Ray Associates Inc. to help search for a permanent city manager.
Ray said 66 people applied.
"We whittled it down to a number of 15 or 16 that we looked very closely at the resumes. And of that we have interviewed six people," Reilly said. "We’ve had a great group of people. It’s been a broad base of people from across the state and some from outside the state."
The latest discussion marked the third round of the interview process.
The council could make an offer to a finalist during its next regular meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at City Hall, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road.
