The Emporia City Commission has not yet decided on a city manager.
Commissioners spent more than two hours in closed session discussing Matt Zimmerman and Ron Massey, the two candidates for the position. But when the doors finally reopened, commissioners said only that they needed more time to talk. The discussions will continue Thursday morning at 8 a.m. in the city conference room.
Mayor Jim Kessler said the commission was not yet ready to make an offer to either candidate.
“We still have further questions to ask and maybe further consultations with our consultant,” Kessler said.
Kessler said that both candidates fit the city’s profile very closely, making the decision more difficult.
“Both of them have strong management philosophies, human relations skills ... and financial management skills,” Kessler said. “That’s what makes the decision hard. ... It would have been a lot easier if one of them was really bad, but both have qualities that make it a tough decision.”
Zimmerman is the city administrator for Prospect Heights, Ill. while Massey is an assistant city manager at Corpus Christi, Texas.
On Tuesday night, about 50 people came to the Little Theater on Tuesday night to meet Zimmerman and Massey. Both men were gratified to be the two remaining candidates out of 47 who initially applied for the job.
“It’s been a very grueling process from my perspective,” Massey chuckled. “I assure you ... this commission is taking this job very seriously.”