Powers’ Top Hires May Be Delayed

Sat., Dec. 2, 2000

By Oliver Staley olivers@spokesman.com

The two most prominent City Hall positions that need to be filled by Mayor-elect John Powers may not have occupants until March.

Powers is charged with hiring a chief administrative officer, a new position created to help the mayor run the city, and replacing City Attorney Jim Sloane, who is retiring.

But the process of writing job descriptions, conducting searches and interviewing candidates means those positions may not be filled for several months, Powers said Friday.

“We hope to have a list of finalists by January, but we may not have someone in place until March,” he said. In the interim, Powers said, the positions may be filled on a temporary basis or current staff members may be asked to stay on until a replacement is found.

There are other department head vacancies Powers will need to fill, including the directors of the Parks and Recreation, Transportation and Entertainment Facilities departments. All currently have interim directors.

The task of finding a CAO and city attorney is being handled by the Transition Implementation Committee, chaired by retired businessman Tom Tilford.

Also on the committee are former city manager Terry Novak, city employee union official Randy Withrow and a number of volunteers from Powers’ campaign.

The committee is writing job descriptions and has contacted a head-hunting firm to identify likely candidates, Tilford said. Internal candidates won’t be ruled out either, he said.

The search for the CAO will start with city officials in other Northwest cities and move out in concentric circles, Tilford said.

“The closer you stay at home, the more likely you are to have a candidate that understands Spokane,” Tilford said.

The ideal candidate for the CAO will have had 10 to 15 years’ experience in public administration and be knowledgable about economic development and public finance, he said.

It’s key that the person be able to help Powers navigate the intricacies of city government, Tilford said.

“I think John has great leadership ability, but he knows nothing about lateral sewer lines,” Tilford said.

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