Applicants from area to be favored for job

Shelbyville's city council will soon begin the process of selecting a new city manager, focusing more on local folks rather than applicants from outside the area.

With the deadline for the applications now past, a total of 33 have been received.

According to city recorder Betty Lamb, 16 were from within Bedford County and another 17 applications were received from out of state.

Applications came from as far away as Alaska, California, and Montana, with some closer, such as Kentucky.

Lamb asked council members Tuesday night if they wanted copies of all the applications and resumes, or just the local ones.

Councilman Al Stephenson stated that the council should not look at the applications "from real far away," but the local people "they all deserve an interview."

"We need to keep it local," council person Jo Ann Holland added.

Stephenson said that applicants from states touching Tennessee "would be alright too."

Lamb said that she would make copies of all the local applicants and give them to the council for review.

"Then we can pull out some names or interview all of them if you want to," Lamb said. "This will at least get it (the process) started."

The council will then select who they wish to talk to, and then conduct the interviews themselves.

"This is a council appointment," Lamb explained to the Times-Gazette.

Applicants were required to have at least a business degree and some experience with budgeting.

Some of the applications have familiar names, Lamb told the T-G, but she said she wanted to wait to see what the council does before releasing any of the names to the public.

Ed Craig was asked to resign as city manager by the council by a 4-2 vote in early October. The vote followed a letter from council members demanding Craig's resignation.

At the time, city attorney Ginger Shofner called the act of circulating that letter a violation of the Sunshine Law.