By Kathryn Heaberg
Buena Vista will be without a city manager when Scott Dadson’s
resignation goes into effect March 10.
When asked if the city council would pick a new city manager by then, City
Councilman Vann Staton said, “We know that is not possible at all.”
Dadson, who came on as manager five years ago, sent a resignation letter
to city council Feb. 9. Hours earlier he was selected as the new city
manager of Beaufort, S.C. Dadson said he understood the difficulty of
finding a new city manager to replace him, and promised to help with the
transition. Dadson will begin the position in Beaufort on March 15. By
that time, Beaufort will have been without a city manager for five weeks
because its city manager also recently resigned.
City Councilman Mike Gibson said there is the possibility of hiring an
interim city manager to help monitor the day-to-day happenings in Buena
Vista before the position is filled.
Staton said that hiring someone temporarily may not even be necessary.
The city manager is usually responsible for providing guidance to the city
council, but Staton said that Mayor Todd Jones can always help with the
everyday activities, as well as answer questions that arise. Also
helpful is Janie Coffey, Dadson’s secretary and the city council clerk,
who provides support for city council. Coffey has more than 15 years of
experience with Buena Vista city government.
The city manager is selected by the city council. The city manager serves as
a link between the department heads within the government, and fields
questions and concerns from citizens.
To find someone to fill the position permanently, Staton said the city
council will begin to advertise the position in trade magazines and
newspapers. City Council also hopes to find qualified candidates by
talking to neighboring cities, especially those that have recently gone
through similar hiring processes. Staton said they will ask these cities
to pass on the resumes of any impressive candidates they did not hire.
An exact timeline has not been set, but Staton estimated that the
application deadline will be mid-April. After all the applications have
been received, the city council will narrow the pool and then conduct
interviews for about five applicants before choosing the new city
manager.
Staton has been involved in the selection process before. He was on the city
council five years ago when Dadson was hired.
The resignation was not a surprise to Staton. “When he came he said he’d
be here for about five years, and that’s how long it has been,” said
Staton.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Editing supervisor: Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd