As Oxford's search for a new city manager continues, the city of Middletown is also filing through applications in hopes of finding a new manager by the end of the year.
According to Les Landen, law director for the city of Middletown, the city manager position in Middletown opened after the old city manager, Bill Becker, left April 1, 2007.
While conducting the Middletown city manager search, interim city manager Steve Husemann has been hired.
"It is the hope that after elections, the old city council and new city council can come together to appoint a new city manager," Landen said.
According to Landen, the city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city, including being in charge of almost every city position involving an administrative service.
Marie Edwards, of community services for the city of Middletown, said that so far there have been eight applicants for the city manager position, but the city expects more.
"We're expecting about 30 applicants," Edwards said.
Similarly, Oxford's search for a new city manager, after Jane Howington's resignation in early June, has brought about 45 applicants through the Mercer Group, the search firm conducting Oxford's city manager application process, said the human resources director for the city of Oxford, Donna Heck.
According to Heck, the date in the search for Oxford's city manager applicants ended around Aug. 1. Edwards said Middletown's search for the city manager ends Oct. 15, with the hope of electing a new city manager by Dec. 31.
With the tentative date to find Oxford's new city manager set around the end of October to early November, Heck said candidates are already scheduling to meet with Oxford's city council and various community members-including representatives from Miami University, schools around Oxford, hospitals and organizations-for interviews.
Likewise, Middletown's search includes a committee of 18 members comprised of city and business leaders who will help with the search process.
According to Edwards, the committee will provide their feedback throughout the selection process and will interview applicants.
Kelly Cowan, Miami University Middletown campus dean, is a member of the committee to help choose Middletown's city manager.
She said that the committee has met once to put together position descriptions of the applicants. According to Cowan, Husemann has been going through the applications, and once the list is dwindled down, the committee will reconvene to start interviewing candidates. Cowan expects this to happen in mid-November.
Cowan is excited to be a part of the committee and is glad to represent Miami's Middletown campus.
"I'm thrilled," she said. "The fact that the city recognizes the importance of MUM is gratifying."
A large aspect of the city manager search for both cities has been advertising.
Landen said Middletown has advertised the position in several professional journals. According to Edwards, the Middletown city manager position has been advertised specifically in area newspapers; through the National League of Cities, an association of cities geared towards strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity leadership and governance; and through the International City Manager Association, a professional association dedicated to appointed local government administrators.
Heck said that the Mercer Group handled all of the advertising for Oxford's city manager. She said that the advantage of using a consultant group, such as Mercer, is that they have many contacts and were able to produce advertisements for the position.
