Five finalists for Farmington Hills' next city manager will sit for public interviews Saturday, Sept. 26, at City Hall.
The Farmington Hills City Council voted 7-0 at an Aug. 12 special meeting to schedule the interviews in Council Chambers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to approved meeting minutes. A second round is set for Sunday, Sept. 27, beginning at 1 p.m., if needed.
The hire will fill the city's top administrative post, vacant since the council accepted City Manager Gary Mekjian's resignation in January. Assistant City Manager Karen Mondora has been serving as acting city manager during the search.
Candidates kept confidential
The five finalists are identified only by code letters: CC, EE, V, X and KM. Their names are confidential. Section 8(1)(f) of the Michigan Open Meetings Act permits closed sessions to review applications from candidates who requested confidentiality. At least some finalists are from out of state, and the council approved travel reimbursement for those candidates.
The national search has been led by Raftelis Financial Consultants, which the council hired in April. At a June 8 study session, Raftelis representative Catherine Tuck Parrish recommended a published hiring range of $200,000 to $225,000, and the council accepted without objection.
Interview format
Each candidate will face up to 14 open-ended questions across two rounds, with each councilmember asking one question per round. Interviews are expected to last 50 to 60 minutes. Candidates will also have time to ask the council questions and deliver a closing statement.
Anne Lewis, a senior manager at Raftelis, offered to facilitate the sessions and develop a scoring rubric. The council agreed not to broadcast the interviews so later candidates cannot watch and learn the questions in advance. The sessions are open to the public. They will not be streamed.
Councilmember Charles Starkman said at the Aug. 12 meeting that the process goes both ways, with candidates evaluating the city just as the council evaluates them.
Contract talks already underway
The council also began shaping the employment agreement for whoever is hired. Councilmember Dwyer flagged the need to cap sick-time and compensatory-time accruals, noting that "in several Oakland County municipalities, the absence of such caps has led to significant financial exposure upon a City Manager's departure."
Lewis confirmed that capped accruals are common in city manager contracts. Councilmember Michael Bridges urged the council and City Attorney Steve Joppich to make sure the agreement reflects current market standards rather than outdated precedents. The contract template dates to the 1990s, though it has been updated over time.
City Attorney Joppich said no decision is required at the end of either interview day. Once a candidate is selected, Joppich will negotiate contract terms with the mayor and bring the final agreement back for a council vote.
Residents who want to observe the interviews can attend in Council Chambers at Farmington Hills City Hall on Sept. 26 starting at 9 a.m.
