St. Joseph city leaders plot next steps in search for city manager

By Cameron Montemayor

In the eyes of Mayor John Josendale, appointing St. Joseph’s next city manager will be one of the most important decisions the city council makes in its entire tenure.

Josendale anticipates a five- to six-month process will be needed to identify, interview and select the next candidate to succeed Bryan Carter after announcing his decision to resign effective Sept. 6.

“You don’t want to rush it to where you get the wrong candidate, but you don’t want it to take too long so that we don’t lose momentum,” Josendale said. “It’s extremely important that we get the right person.”

The city is currently in the process of selecting a national firm to help identify potential city manager candidates. Josendale confirmed that RFQs, or requests for quotes, were recently sent out for firms to apply and submit proposals.

“We’re extending that out now until next week. And then they’ll come in and we’ll decide what firm to use,” he said. “It’s my suspicion that they will come in and want to talk to us about what we see is our needs. And they can do that either as a group or a one-on-one so that everybody will get their input from that.”

As that process unfolds over the coming weeks and months, the city will also be seeking input from both city staff and the community in determining the next person responsible for leading daily operations of the city.

“If there’s one (search firm) that just kind of stands out in the crowd, we would probably hire them. That will all take place over the next couple of weeks,” he said.

City council members will vote next Monday to appoint Clint Thompson, director of planning and community development, as the interim city manager until an employment contract with a new city manager becomes effective.

Thompson was first hired as the city’s community development manager in 1998 and has served in his current role since 2001.

“Clint as the interim I think is extremely important in the fact that it gives continuity,” Josendale said. “There are a lot of things in the works right now in the city and working with the staff and having the knowledge of what’s already here lets us keep moving.”

Thompson has expressed to the city council that he is not interested in the position long-term.

Josendale said the search firm and subsequent discussions will help paint a clearer picture if the best candidate will be someone internal or external.

“But it really comes down to, the council has to make that decision and they have to do what’s best for the city as a whole,” he said.

Josendale said he has nothing but respect for the work Carter has done for the city, from his start working in its legal department in 2011 to the communication and leadership he displayed as city manager, a performance that garnered praise from staff and elected officials.

“Bryan is an exceptional person. I would tell you, first of all, coming in as the mayor, you learn a lot of things about city government, it’s a lot different than private sector. And working with Bryan and his background, he had the legal side,” Josendale said. “The council is very appreciative of the job Bryan’s done.”

Carter’s decision to resign was announced by the city in a press release Aug. 7. He told News-Press NOW on Thursday it was a difficult decision, but one that would allow him to return to practicing law and also spend more time with his family.

“I had a great opportunity that became available to me that’s going to offer an opportunity to get back into full-time practice of law,” Carter said. “Which, of course, is what I’m educated and what I’ve done in my career.”

Looking back on his tenure, two positive developments Carter pointed to were the formation of a strong leadership team and the passage of the parks sales tax, a measure that passed with overwhelming voter support in 2021.

The tax has generated millions for restoring and improving St. Joseph’s abundance of green spaces, parks and parks facilities.

“The fact that it will build on the strength of this community as a whole and it will build on our parks system,” Carter said.

But it was the relationships he built with those in the community, city staff and elected officials that he called the most gratifying part of his three-year tenure.

“Easily the most rewarding part,” Carter said. “This is a great community with a lot of great people, and that’s unquestionably one of the hardest part of things to leave behind.”