Administrator hired but who is he?

That was to have happened Monday.

Asked who on the council as of Tuesday knew who has been hired, Thompson responded: “They know I’ve selected someone, but I have not released his name. I am doing this for him, because he’s got people down there he has worked with a long time, and he didn’t want them reading it in the paper. He wanted to tell them.”

The selection process, which has been under way since the April death of Bob Beck, has created some friction between the mayor and some members of the city council.

Thompson rebuffed efforts by some councilmen to force their involvement in the hiring process and the setting of the new salary.

Thompson told them that the city charter gives him sole authority to hire the top administrator and the council only has the authority to fire him.

Originally, the mayor did say he would ask the council’s finance committee to be involved in the selection of the administrator. But as it turns out, only two members of the administration — city clerk Sabrina Wall and human resources director Penny Wilkins — were involved until almost the very end.

“On the last interview, Sonny Morris, the mayor pro tem, came in on that,” Thompson said. “The finance committee did not participate.”

The mayor said more than 30 people applied for the position and the winning candidate was chosen because of his “credentials and experience.”Contacted Tuesday afternoon, Morris also declined to disclose the identity of the new administrator, saying he had been “sworn to secrecy” until the mayor announces it.

However, Morris said he thinks the council, the public, and the press will be pleased with the mayor’s choice.

“I think everybody will be pleased with this guy,” Morris said. “I think you will find he will be more open to the news media and we will have a better relationship than in the past – a whole lot better.

For more on this story, see the October 27 edition of the Barrow Journal or click here to read the full story online when you subscribe to our new e-edition.