Northport Council Now Focusing On Top 4 City Admin Candidates

Tuscaloosa AL

15 March, 2021

12:04 PM

Description

NORTHPORT, AL — A list of 12 candidates for the open Northport city administrator position has been whittled down to four, who will be interviewed in two separate sessions this week. Northport City Attorney Ron Davis told Patch on Monday that Northport Police Chief Gerald Burton will be the first candidate interviewed in person by the council at 5:15 p.m. He has served as the city's chief of police since 2014 and has more than 20 years on the job for NPD. Burton will be followed by a Zoom interview at 6:15 p.m. with Richard Whitehead, who has worked as assistant director for the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service in Knoxville. From 1999 until 2004, he also served as city manager for the City of Anniston. The second round of interviews, Davis said, will be held Thursday at the same times. Click here for the full list of applicants and my prior coverage of the search. The first interview on day two will be conducted via Zoom with Nathan Patterson, who served as interim assistant director and previously as deputy director for the City of San Diego. According to his application, which was obtained by Patch through a public records request, he temporarily left his role as interim director for a military assignment, which saw him named officer-in-charge of the First Navy Expeditionary Logistics Regiment. Tuscaloosa City Attorney Glenda Webb will round out the interviews at 6:15 p.m. and will take questions from the Council in person, Davis said. Webb has worked with the city for nearly two decades and served as Tuscaloosa's city attorney since 2013. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. "Right now, as I understand it, [the City Council] went through the 12 applicants, then the council members ranked them individually and got them to HR," Davis said. "Then HR went through to see who was on the most lists and they are going to interview the top four right now." However, Davis pointed out that while the Council could make a swift decision after conducting the first four interviews, they will still have the option to move forward to interview any of the other eight remaining candidates if they so choose. "It's a decision of the six elected officials on this one," he said. "The Council does the hiring of the city administrator but the mayor has the option to veto, but doesn't vote on that. But since it is a permanent resolution, the mayor has the power to veto, then [the Council] could vote to override." All of the interviews will be conducted in the Council chambers at the Northport Civic Center and City Hall and will be open to the public, although current public health guidelines are still in place for the building's capacity. Patch will have continued coverage of the interview process as it progresses. Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of our latest sponsors? Email any and all inquiries to me at [email protected].