Hamilton councillors agreed last week to conduct a Canada-wide search to replace the departing city manager Glen Peace.

"There needs to be a competitive process," said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. "You may get someone from Hamilton. Maybe one will rise to the top."

Politicians agreed to form a steering committee composed of the councillors who chair the city's standing committees, plus the mayor to conduct the search. The councillors on the search committee would include Terry Whitehead, Tom Jackson, Maria Pearson, and Russ Powers.

Most councillors agreed to look at candidates for the job from both outside the city and inside.

"We want a competitive process," said Ward 8 councillor Terry Whitehead.

But Flamborough councillor Margaret McCarthy urged her colleagues to save money and select a replacement from within the corporation.

Enough talent

"My experience is we have enough talent inside the city, with learned knowledge," she said. "There will be a large learning curve (for a person) from outside. We should save the expense."

After former city manager Doug Lychak was let go, councillors conducted a search in 2002 and selected Bob Robertson from British Columbia. When former mayor Larry Di Ianni was looking for a city manager, he settled on Mr. Peace, who had been Hamilton's Fire Chief, and emergency services general manager.

Mr. Peace said later he will assist councillors in any way he can in seeking his replacement. City staff will provide a report on how to select a city manager, including job description and the names of search firms. He said selecting a consulting firm will be done through a request for proposal process.

Differing attitudes

"(Councillors) will have differing attitudes about the job,"he said. "They may want to go in a different direction."

Earlier this month Mr. Peace, announced he would not seek to have his contract renewed next year. Instead, he would leave the corporation June 30. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family this summer.

Councillors agreed to keep Mr. Peace in place until the end of June. If a person has not been selected then, Joe Rinaldo, corporate services general manager, will become the corporation's acting chief executive officer.

Mr. Eisenberger said Mr. Peace will "have no influence" on the selection process. Mr. Peace will provide only information about how to select the consultant, he said.

Mr. Eisenberger said he would like to see a candidate selected within six months.

The mayor said he will look at a candidate who will provide "stability" to the corporation, rather than someone who will shake things up.

"I'm not looking at someone to turn things around," he said. "We have stability. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here."