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Keokuk Ready to Offer City Administrator Job

Keokuk appears to be on the verge of having a city administrator after nearly a decade without one.

"I am terribly excited to work with this person," said Mayor Tom Marion. "I believe the individual we are looking at is young, very energetic. [He has] been involved in the community [where] he is a city administrator now."

Aldermen were scheduled to interview five candidates for the position on Monday, Oct. 5, but plans changed after two interviewees backed out at the last minute.

"One individual took a city administrator job in Cherokee, Iowa," said Marion. "Another candidate had a couple job offers and was not going to come to Keokuk."

The three remaining interviews, which took place behind closed doors, lasted the entire day. Council members SusanDunek, Sandy Pollitt, Roger Bryant, Dan Winn and Ron Payne were in attendance.

Marion said once the interviews were completed, the candidates were scored based on a matrix provided by Cedar Rapids-based Lynch Dallas, the firm leading the search.

"I think we have the person we want," said Marion. "Our search firm has talked to the individual. We, of course, made no decision, no vote because we were in a closed session."

Marion said the city council is expected to hold another special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at which point aldermen will discuss the candidate and likely extend a job offer.

The salary for the next city administrator could be in the range of $100,000. The job duties are expected to include preparing the budget and overseeing day-to-day operations.

More than 40 people applied for the post.

Keokuk hired its first city administrator, Odis Jones, in late 2007. Jones was only on the job for a few months before leaving for a position on the East Coast.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.