CHESTERTOWN — The first round of interviews for Chestertown’s next town manager is expected to wrap up mid-week.
The successful candidate will succeed Larry DiRe, whose last day on the job was Aug. 1.
In all, seven applicants from a pool of 40-plus gained an interview, either in person or via the Zoom video conference platform.
According to town officials, three applicants were interviewed Friday, Aug. 15; two more were interviewed Monday, Aug. 18; and the final two will be interviewed tomorrow (Wednesday, Aug. 20).
Three finalists will be brought back for a second interview.
Ultimately, the mayor and council will vote in open session on the new hire.
What’s the time frame?
“Ideally, within a month,” Mayor David Foster told The Evening Enterprise.
In the interim, former town zoning administrator Kees de Mooy, who retired in September 2024, has been brought in on a contractual basis to carry out the town manager’s duties.
At Monday’s regularly scheduled mayor and council meeting, Foster referred to de Mooy as the “acting town manager.”
De Mooy did not apply for the permanent job.
On June 5, DiRe tendered his resignation effective at the end of October.
But on Aug. 1, in what Mayor Foster described as a “mutual decision,” DiRe and the Town of Chestertown parted company.
The process for hiring DiRe’s successor began with Foster and all four council members reviewing all applications. With the help of the town’s Human Resources Manager Kim Lawson, the pool of applicants was vetted to seven who advanced to the interview stage.
Foster, Council member Sheila Austrian, Town Clerk Lynda Thomas, Lawson and de Mooy sat in on all five interviews that have been completed, Thomas confirmed in a telephone interview Monday, Aug. 18. Other council members have been involved as their schedules have permitted.
In order to avoid a violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act when a quorum of the mayor and council are present, the interviews, conducted behind closed doors, are announced on the town’s website as an executive session.
DiRe’s first day was June 29, 2023. His hiring was approved by unanimous vote of the mayor and council.
According to a post on the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) Job Center, a job site specifically for local government professionals, the role of the Chestertown town manager “is essential for driving the vision of the town forward while ensuring that all operations align with community values and objectives.”
Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree, preferably in public administration, business administration, urban planning or a closely related field. A master’s degree in one of the aforementioned fields is considered a plus, as is being a certified public manager. Previous experience as a town manager or assistant manager is strongly encouraged.
The residency requirement is within a radius of 10 miles of the town limits of Chestertown within six months after appointment.
The salary is listed as $120,000 to $130,000 per year, plus various benefits.