Rio Vista soon to choose new city manager

January 17, 2007

Rio Vista soon to choose city manager

By Ben Antonius


RIO VISTA - The search for a new city manager may be approaching the end in Rio Vista.

The city council is interviewing a final group of applicants and could have a decision by the end of the month, said Mayor Eddie Woodruff.

Rio Vista has been in need of a city manager ever since former City Manager Brad Baxter tendered his resignation in mid-2006.

The city hired a Roseville-based search firm, who narrowed the pool of about 50 applicants down to six. The city council interviewed those six, as well as two others, and came up with three finalists, who will re-interview on Friday.

"My hope is we would be within a month but that's going to depend on a lot of factors," Woodruff said. "If we do (make a selection), there's a whole process before an announcement is made."

Meanwhile, the city is also trying to hire a permanent city clerk. The city clerk was previously elected, as it is in many cities, but Councilwoman Jan Vick said voters in 2004 made it an appointed position.

"We will probably make an announcement about the same time" the city manager is announced, Vick said.

City Engineer Brent Salmi has been serving as interim city manager since Baxter's departure.

Because of its size, Rio Vista often draws city manager applicants who are looking for experience or looking for a place to retire, Woodruff said.

"There's a variety," said Vick. "Most of them probably have had department head experience, assistant city manager experience."

Woodruff said it was a "very highly qualified" pool of candidates. He was on the council during the city manager search that landed Baxter and said the current candidates are as good or better than that group.

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.