CANFIELD — A national search firm has sent four finalist names to Canfield City Council to consider for city manager.

They are Richard Dzik of MountVernon, Ohio; Chad Hawks of Canfield; Martin Hume of Youngstown; and Blaine Wing of Rochester Hills, Mich.

Acting city Manager Chuck Colucci, the police chief, said the selected candidate will be checked out thoroughly.

“This city manager selection process has been thorough and like none I have been a part of or have known to have taken place,” he said. The selected individual will have participated in multiple interviews, a background investigation, a computerized voice stress analysis (i.e. truth verification), a psychological assessment, a leadership assessment, a drug screen, and other evaluations.

Colucci said he expects the city will have a new city manager as soon as June, possibly July. He was asked to throw his hat in the mix but declined. He said he loves the police work and feels that is where he needs to be.

In the meantime, Colucci will continue to run the city and the police department, which he said couldn’t be done without a strong team.

City council had two special sessions Monday and Tuesday to go into executive session to discuss hiring an employee.

THE PROCESS

The search and replacement process dates to Aug. 26, 2022, when Wade Calhoun resigned as city manager. In September, council began its own search, which didn’t yield the results council was looking for.

At the time, Colucci said one issue was requiring a “CEO-level experience” of five years or more. By the end of the search, the city ended up with 30 applicants, none of whom met the criteria.

On Jan. 18, council approved turning the search over to Baker Tilly, a nationwide firm that can post the job to a wider audience. A fee of $26,000 was approved, and the search began. The 30 who already applied were turned over to Baker Tilly to be reconsidered.

The city’s website states:

¯ Annual salary range is negotiable with an excellent benefits package;

¯ “The city manager’s principal duties and responsibilities include assisting members of the city council in formulating policies and responding to city council issues and concerns, either directly or through various city staff members, to recommend options and potential solutions. The city manager will oversee a staff of 50 to 60 full- and part-time employees;

¯ The city manager is appointed by and serves at the will of the council and serves as the chief administrative and executive officer of the city;

¯ Candidates shall have a bachelor’s degree in public administration, accounting, engineering, business, or another related field from an accredited college or university and five years of progressively responsible management and leadership experience in a municipal government administration, preferably in Ohio. A master’s degree in public administration or related field, and / or certification as a professional engineer in Ohio is preferred.

In April, the firm went through the candidates and selected the top four for council to consider.

In the meantime and since August 2022, “everyone at the police department has stepped up to help out,” Colucci said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I think it is critical that it is not just me, but all city department heads. We are all working together and keeping the city and the police department moving forward. We are in a really good position to give the next city manager the best possible chance for success.”

jtwhitehouse@vindy.com