Process for hiring new city manager ongoing

The process for hiring a new city manager is ongoing.

Despite a conditional offer made to Ned Thomas, following a special meeting of the city council on Nov. 21, there is nothing definitive to report and the process is slated to continue until early in 2025.

“Background and reference checks are being conducted,” Acting City Manager Michael Mays said in an emailed statement. “Mr. Thomas will review the job offer followed by formalizing the offer at a city council meeting after the first of the year.”

That formalized offer may or may not look like the one that came out of the recent special meeting. As explained by Mays, Thomas has the chance to review the offer while the background and reference checks processes are ongoing and there may or may not be some negotiation over the terms of the offer before it is finalized.

After the meeting scheduled for Dec. 10, the council does not meet again until Jan. 14 of next year and that would be the soonest the offer could be finalized unless the council opts to call a special meeting before then.

Thomas was one of three finalists brought forward for consideration after a national search conducted by the recruitment firm WBCP, which was hired by the council last summer after former city manager Taylour Tedder debarked for a higher-paying job in Delaware after just over two years in the Boulder City position.

Of the other finalists, one, Tarik Rahmani, was unable to attend the public interview due to a health emergency and was not considered. The final of the three, Christopher Jordan, was not offered the job but the council was unanimous in comments about being able to work with either Thomas or Jordan.