City Hires Recruiter, Narrows Search For Department Head

With the help of a hired recruiting consultant, the City of Gaithersburg has begun to narrow down it's list of candidates for the vacant Director of Planning and Code Administration position.

Assistant City Manager Tony Tomasello said 61 people have applied for the position, which was left open after in September. Of those, about 14 or 15 are "reviewable candidates," he said.

He said he hopes to make an offer in two to three months.

The City hired Norcross, GA-based Slavin Management Consultants, which has a standing contract to do recruiting work for Montgomery County.

The contract was not bid, City Manager Angel Jones said, because the City got such a good deal.

The contract is for $13,000, plus expenses, for a total of up to $20,000.

Tomasello said the advantages of using a consultant in the hiring process is their broad advertising reach and their available network of potential candidates.

Jones, along with Director of Finance Harold Belton and Director of HR Margaret Daily, decided to use the County's consultant rather than perform the search internally, Tomasello said.

The Director of Planning and Code Administration position oversees 41 full time employees and has a salary range of $93,785 to $148,237 annually.

Ossont, a 15-year City employee, left at the same time as Director of Community Services Crystal Carr, leaving the City to Planning and Code duties.

Tomasello said the staff has been handling the additional work very well.

"Things are going pretty smoothly in Planning," he said.