An interim manager position won’t to be filled before top bureaucrat Ted Swabey departs Nov. 13.
A “handful” of candidates have expressed interest in filling the interim city manager position and more will be reviewed from a Local Government Management Association list, according to John Van Horne, the city’s director of human resources, who says the city is still in the information and application gathering stage.
A search for an interim city manager was launched just days after the municipality announced the departure of Swabey, who has taken the chief administrative officer position at the City of Maple Ridge. Candidates both from within and outside of the City of Nanaimo had until Monday to apply.
Van Horne said names will given to an executive hiring committee to review, but the position will not be filled in time for Swabey's last day.
Swabey told the News Bulletin it is up to council to determine what to do after he's gone but the mayor, as CEO, would take on the city manager role by default if no one is in place.
An interim position is anticipated to last six months and once filled, the city will search for a permanent city manager.