Manager Search Reopens

Finalists didn’t satisfy council; pay may go up from $135K

It’s back to the drawing board for the Rio Rancho city manager search.

City councilors and the mayor interviewed four applicants last week but were unable to settle on a shortlist of at least three from which to select a candidate for appointment to the position, as required by the City Charter.

“There was consensus that we need to broaden the search,” Mayor Tom Swisstack said, adding that they want someone who can build bridges on policy differences and work on making the city business friendly without sacrificing quality of life concerns.

The city will now re-advertise the position locally, regionally and nationally, city spokesman Peter Wells said in a Tuesday news release.

Swisstack said he and councilors are also open to offering a higher salary than the $135,000 initially offered.

Rio Rancho launched the search this summer after former City Manager James Jimenez retired involuntarily following differences of opinion with some city councilors. City Attorney James Babin has been acting city manager since July. Babin will continue in that position, Wells said.

“I don’t want to settle. I want the best person,” said Councilor Mark Scott. “Hiring a

city manager is probably the most important thing we’ll do. This is a very serious responsibility.”

Councilor Chuck Wilkins said he might have been able to pick one of the four candidates interviewed but couldn’t recommend three. Some of the candidates didn’t appear to have experience with a similar sized city, or gave the impression that they were looking for a last post before retiring.

“We have a lot of problems to fix and I didn’t think this was a good area to learn to be city manager for a city this size,” Wilkins said.

Swisstack said the four candidates interviewed can reapply for the position. They were Charles Montoya director of finance for the town of Castle Rock, Colo.; Gary Jackson assistant city manager in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston; Dennis Stark, a previous manager for Lyon County, Nev., near Reno; and Jim Pascal, administrator of Princeton Township, N.J.

A fifth short listed candidate, Timothy Zisoff, city manager in Indianola, Iowa, withdrew.

The initial search drew 40 applicants. Wilkins ventured that the advertised salary wasn’t sufficient to attract the “quality of candidates we needed.”

“I’m willing to go higher if that’s what we need to do,” Wilkins said.