Takiyah Douse isn’t the only likely local candidate for city administrator.
After months of debate over qualifications and the process for finding a permanent administrator, four of the city’s seven finalists are local, Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle confirmed Thursday.
The commission and mayor spent about 90 minutes behind closed doors Thursday discussing the personnel action. None asked would comment on the names a search firm recommended for consideration.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson said the group agreed not to discuss them.
Guilfoyle told The Augusta Press last week that search firm Developmental Associates received 21 applications, from which it presented 12 candidates to the commission.
The process the commission agreed to follow is to select seven finalists to refer to Mayor Garnett Johnson. The city code calls for the mayor to then recommend “up to three” to the commission, including his preferred pick.
If the commission declines to approve one, the mayor can then suggest others until he gets an OK, or the search takes another turn, or is discontinued. The city agreed to spend $31,750 for North Carolina-based Developmental to conduct the search.
Douse has served as interim administrator since March 2022, when former Administrator Odie Donald resigned after 14 months. Douse previously served as director of Central Services, while Donald was an Atlanta native who had been working in Washington, D.C.
The commission has had extensive public discussion about whether Douse is the best choice and several commissioners have stated they favor her, so her name is likely among the final group.
The commission is restricting applicants to individuals from the southeast with city manager experience and a Master’s degree, or related experience.
Over the last decade, the group has shown a preference for the familiar in some searches.
In 2014, the group chose Augusta native Janice Allen Jackson, who had experience as Albany city manager, over Mayor Deke Copenhaver’s pick, New Mexico town manager Oscar Rodriguez.
In 2020, the commission picked Maurice McDowell, then serving as interim recreation director, to replace Aiken County resident Glenn Parker as recreation director after Parker resigned. The two other recreation finalists’ most recent jobs were in tiny Elizabeth City, N.C., and Massillon, Ohio.
In 2021, rather than conduct a search, the commission gave Engineering Director Hameed Malik the additional title of environmental services director. That year, the commission also selected former Engineering Manager Wes Byne as utilities director over another local finalist, Assistant Utilities Director for Engineering Marie Corbin.
In 2021 the commission selected DeKalb County Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Antonio Burden, who had local ties, over finalists identified as employed in Peoria, Ariz., and Colleton County, S.C., for fire chief. The city attempted to withhold the names of finalists other than Burden, prompting a legal battle with local media outlets.
Guilfoyle said interviews with administrator finalists would begin later this month.
