Cambridge Mayor Steve Rideout on Search for City Manager

The Cambridge City Council conducted interviews on July 15 for the vacant city manager position. The closed session was held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay and was, in the words of Mayor Steve Rideout, “an interesting meeting.” This was necessitated by the departure in May of City Manager Tom Carroll, whose position has been held on a temporary basis by David Deutsch. 

Per the charter established in 2015, the Cambridge city manager will be appointed by a majority vote of the city commissioners based on the recommendation of a search committee, whose five members are chosen by the council.

“We set up a committee structure for the citizens to be involved with,” explained Rideout, who chairs the search committee as a voting member. “Doing interviews, looking at the potential candidates, deciding who qualifies or doesn’t qualify to be moved on to interviews with the city. So, that was the first step in the process.”

The city manager serves as Cambridge’s CEO, CFO, chief personnel officer, and public information official. So, the candidate’s qualifications are important. He or she must hold a Master’s Degree in Public Administration or Business Administration or a post-baccalaureate degree in a related field, plus have at least five years of experience as a city or county manager or assistant manager.

“So, that then requires, as part of a search for us, really, to reach out into the city manager world, county manager world, to find people that have those kinds of skills,” said Rideout. “It’s not just like Chick-fil-A, and you’re there to make chicken sandwiches and chicken nuggets and all of that. I mean, there’s building roads and sewers and water and electricity, paving roads, and making sure the community is safe.”

Along with the responsibilities of the search committee, Rideout believes it is helpful to have a professional person assist in finding the right candidates, as they have the skills and connections to locate potential managers and convince them to apply.

“When [former City Manager] Patrick Comiskey was named [in 2018], some of our commissioners would not spend the money for that professional help, and so we wound up with three candidates, and the candidates were not recommended,” said Rideout, who emphasized that Comiskey was a good choice at the time. “But my hope is that whoever we hire will be with us for a good, long time, that [he or she will] have the qualities that we all want in a city manager and will work well with the commissioners and the mayor moving forward.”

In searching for the right city manager candidate, the committee and the council are looking for someone who can not only fulfill the goals of the city but also pivot to deal with new ones. So, they talk with the applicant about the vision for the city and what the challenges are so everything is fair and transparent, and the applicant can decide whether he or she has the needed skill sets. Even if the candidate has all the skills necessary at that time, community needs can change.

“But what we have found is that the people who have been our city managers really have been very knowledgeable, experienced in running cities and in being flexible,” said Rideout. “When a new issue comes up or a new challenge comes up, they’re prepared to adjust to it.”

Part of the interview process is due diligence: checking references, performing a background check, making use of services that provide information on people, and asking important questions. The search committee will look at the internet and social media for the person’s activities and what he or she has said on various issues. But things will inevitably be missed or out of reach, including legal records, and that is unavoidable.

“If the person comes in for interviews, can you avoid all the problems?” asked Rideout rhetorically. “No.”

Cambridge’s city manager position offers a salary of $135,000 – $150,000, which is based on what the community can afford. The pay scale is also dependent on what the market provides in the way of applicant quality.

“Certainly, the higher your salary, the more likely it is that you’re going to have a more highly qualified person,” said Rideout, who also mentioned he believes the city has made significant progress since the creation of the city manager form of government. “And it’s because of the city becoming more and more engaged with and working with the city managers that we’ve had.”