Kinston city manager search continues after candidates decline; Interim manager to leave July 30th

Kinston officials are regrouping in the search for a permanent city manager after two preferred candidates declined to move forward, Interim City Manager Ralph Clark said.

Clark said the city is still working with its outside search firm and has not reopened or re-advertised the position, though an updated date on the application led to questions about whether the posting had been renewed.

“We’re not re-advertising,” Clark said. “I won’t tell you we won’t because, you know, you never know.”

Clark said the Kinston City Council has held two in-person interview sessions. The first session included three candidates. Council selected one candidate from that group and entered negotiations, Clark said.

“We went through the negotiation process, and we felt like we met all the terms,” Clark said. “And after visiting the community and with his family, he decided that it was not best for him, from a family standpoint.”

Clark said the candidate appeared to want the job, but family considerations played a role.

“I think he wanted the job very bad,” Clark said.

After that candidate declined, Clark said the city considered another candidate who had expressed interest after the additional deadline. Council agreed to bring that person in for an interview.

“We brought him in and he came, we met, the council liked him very much,” Clark said.

Clark said the city was down to two candidates and council decided to consider the latter applicant. That candidate also wanted to bring his family to Kinston.

“Well, again, we ran into another family situation,” Clark said. “So we are back having to regroup right now.”

Clark said the city continues to work with the outside search firm, identified as the Raftelis Group, with the office working with Kinston located in Virginia.

“We have a contract with them and the deal is that, you know, we stay with them until it’s complete,” Clark said.

Clark said the firm and city are reviewing the applicant pool again to determine whether other applicants might meet the city’s needs. He said the last number he had reported, before council held interviews, was 51 applicants, though he believed the number had increased.

“We have applicants,” Clark said.

Clark said the search is complicated by a shortage of people seeking city manager positions.

“There’s a real shortage of people in this field,” Clark said. “With the scarcity of applicants and, you know, the quality that you’re getting, it’s not an easy chore.”

Clark’s agreement with the city expires at the end of July. He said his planned departure is tied to his wife’s scheduled surgery July 30.

“My time ends July 30,” Clark said. “That is just when I plan to leave.”

If a permanent manager is not selected before then, Clark said the city would likely need to look for another interim manager while the permanent search continues.

“There are a few interims out here that might be willing to come,” Clark said. “But this pool’s getting scarce, too.”

Clark said there is no firm timeline for hiring a permanent city manager.

“It’s hard to create a timeline,” Clark said. “You’ve got one pressing issue, that’s my agreement. It expires. Time runs out. And the other is, if you don’t find someone between now and then, you have to go looking for replacement for me, and then a replacement manager.”

Councilman Antonio Hardy said Tuesday that the city had identified a candidate and that council members interviewed the candidates presented to them.

“Yes, all of them,” Hardy said. “Some good and bad. Overall good interviews.”

Hardy also referenced a candidate who declined the position.

“Yes, one great candidate but family problems, why he refused the job,” Hardy said.

Hardy said he believes the city needs a stronger vetting system.

“I really think we should have a better vetting system,” Hardy said. “There were some really bad candidates.”

When asked what kind of city manager Kinston needs, Hardy said the city needs someone who understands Kinston’s needs and the council’s vision. He said the next city manager should have a background in economic development, lobbying ability, public works knowledge, leadership skills and an open mind.

Councilman Sammy Aiken declined to comment on the search.

“No comments,” Aiken said in an email. “Personnel matters. Your inquiry at this time could adversely affect recruitment.”

Clark said he has stressed to council that selecting the right person is more important than moving quickly.

“I would like for them to know that I have stressed to the council it’s more crucial to get the right person in here than to take something that’s not the right person,” Clark said. “I think that the council is approaching it from that perspective, that it’s crucial that we don’t pick the wrong person.”

Clark said the city manager position carries major responsibility, with a city budget of about $140 million, reserves to manage, approximately 440 employees and services for about 17,000 to 18,000 residents.

“We have a huge responsibility, and putting the wrong person in place can destroy all of that,” Clark said.

Clark said residents should understand that the process may take time.

“Hopefully the public will understand that it takes some time,” Clark said. “We have to be patient to find that right person.”

Mayor Kareem Moore, Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon, Council member Barbara Seaforth, and Council member Les Lipford did not respond to inquiries about the city manager search.