The search for a new town manager at Wrightsville Beach is ideally nearing its end since the close of the application period Monday.
Wrightsville Beach Mayor David Cignotti said the town’s board of aldermen on Thursday will schedule interviews with top contenders and hopefully offer the job in the first week of January.
“We’ve already had a group of three look over the new applications and they’ve already narrowed it down to several that the board of aldermen will interview,” Cignotti said on Tuesday.
The interviews will take place in closed sessions.
By early November, the town’s leadership had interviewed seven applicants for the job but, not completely satisfied with the slate, re-advertised to draw more talent.
That second application period, which ended Monday, drew 17 resumes, although four of them were repeats from the first run, according to Wrightsville Beach Town Clerk Sylvia Holleman.
“All along we wanted to move slowly and make sure we got the person who was the best match for our town,” Cignotti emphasized Tuesday.
Wrightsville Beach has been without a town manager since the departure of Bob Simpson in October. Simpson, who served in the role more than seven years, earned an annual salary of about $82,000, officials said.
The position’s advertisement notes a $10 million annual operating budget and a workforce of 85 permanent employees in addition to a “significant” seasonal employee base.
The town preferred candidates with a master’s degree in public administration and a minimum five years experience in municipal management.
Contact Ben Brown at [email protected] or (910) 772-6335. On Twitter: @benbrownmedia
