Council Postpones Hiring City Manager

The city will delay hiring a city manager until after the November election, officials said this week.

The City Council has debated for months when to hire a permanent replacement for Stephen B. Julian, who retired in July. Dayle Keller, 52, who has held a number of administrative positions with other cities, has been doing the job since then on an interim basis.

Council members Bill Ossenmacher and Toni Gallagher have pushed for a delay, saying that two new council members to be elected to the five-member board in November should be involved in the hiring of a new city manager.

Officials said that Keller is doing a good job, so there is no rush to replace her. Keller has agreed to stay on as interim manager while the city searches for a permanent replacement.

Keller has said that terms of her contract prohibit her being hired as city manager. She has also said that she would not accept the full-time position because it would jeopardize her pension from previous positions.