With a field of applicants now established, Mayor Doug Echols wants to hear the public's ideas on what Rock Hill needs in its next city manager.
The mayor has scheduled three public drop-ins over the next month for residents to stop in and share their thoughts.
Echols said at least 55 people applied for the job through Slavin Management Consultants, a firm hired by Rock Hill officials to vet candidates and coordinate the search.
City Council members soon will begin the work of sorting through resumes and narrowing the field.
"There's a lot of good due diligence planned," Echols said. "The whole council is engaged as a team in doing this. We're together on this. That's the way it should be."
Carey Smith, 67, announced his retirement in February after eight years as Rock Hill's top unelected official.
The field of applicants includes people from around the country, Echols said.
Two Rock Hill department heads - finance director David Vehaun and utilities administrator Jimmy Bagley - were mentioned around City Hall as logical in-house candidates.
Bagley confirmed to The Herald that he has applied. Vehaun would not comment.
Rock Hill's city manager oversees more than 700 employees, a $164 million annual budget, an electric system and water treatment system that sells water to most of York County.
City leaders already have put together a four-page profile that describes the job to potential applicants.
Among the desired qualities: "Intelligent and self-confident without being an egotist" and "anticipates the public relations implication of issues and handles them ahead of time."
"The Rock Hill City Manager is not the 'Face of the City,' but needs to be accessible to community leaders and be able to effectively represent the city's interests," the profile states.
Before hiring Smith in 2002, the city labored through a 10-month search that included two separate batches of candidates, a last-minute withdrawal and legal questions over how many finalists must be named under South Carolina law.
Now, council members say they want a deliberate pace with more vetting throughout the process.
Smith can stay on for as long as needed. His last day is Oct. 1, but he and his wife, Joan, aren't going anywhere. The couple plans to stay in Rock Hill.
Public forums
As the city zeroes in on a successor, Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols said he wants to hear from the public about which attributes and types of experience are most important. The mayor will host three drop-ins:
10-11 a.m. July 27 at City Hall
4-5 p.m. Aug. 2 at Fewell Park
7-8 p.m. Aug. 12 at Northside Center
What does Rock Hill need?
Share your ideas on what qualities or attributes Rock Hill should seek in its next city manager. Send an e-mail to opinion@heraldonline.com. Please include your name and phone number. We might publish some entries.
