Decision day arrived? Councilmembers to discuss PA city manager finalists
Published 10:07 am Tuesday, March 19, 2019
By Ken Stickney
The Port Arthur City Council was set to discuss its finalists for the city manager job Tuesday morning, but there was no guarantee a selection would be made.
Four candidates — Hani Tohme, a professional engineer and Port Arthur’s director of public services; Natasha Henderson, a management consultant and former city manager in Flint, Michigan; David Strahl, former city administrator for the city of O’Fallon, Missouri; and Henrietta Turner, city manager in Floresville, Texas were interviewed last month. They were finalists among 18 people who applied for the job.
The successful candidate will replace interim City Manager Harvey Robinson, who has held the position temporarily since December 2017.
The discussion will likely take place behind closed doors starting at 11:30 under Section 551.074, “to discuss the duties and responsibilities of the city manager.”
“We’re not rushing anything,” said Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Kinlaw. “We want to do our research and due diligence.”
Mayor Derrick Freeman said last month he was pleased with the quality of the candidates and the four finalists. He did not return repeated phone calls Monday.
Kinlaw, too, said the search draw people “from all over the United States.”
“At this point, we have some quality candidates to come through this way,” he said Monday. “We are going to meet and have that conversation. Possibly we can do it (hire a city manager) tomorrow but we have to answer these questions.”
The City Council’s target date to make a hire was this week.
The City Council posted the position on several government and professional and in newspapers, including The Port Arthur News, on Dec. 6.
Robinson will leave his position after the permanent replacement is selected.
