PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Portage city council will waste no time finding a new city manager.
They have bypassed the usual bidding process to find a search firm, a process that usually can take up to a month.
Frank Walsh was their recruiter four years ago when they chose outgoing manager Patrick McGinnis.
They liked Walsh’s work then, so the council approved a new contract with his Coldwater-based executive headhunting firm last night.
Walsh’s advantage is he specializes in finding candidates in Michigan, and he charges a lot less than national recruiting firms.
He says they should have few problems recruiting for Portage.
Walsh says getting started now is important because of a statewide City Manager’s Conference is in mid-July, and hiring before school begins in the fall is important for candidates with families.
Walsh says if things go as planned, they could make an offer in late August, do a thorough background check, and then make an offer.
It will mean a busier than usual few months for city council members during a time of the year when things usually ease back, and the extra work will begin immediately.
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