As you may know, we are in the process of looking for the next City Manager to join the Bothell Community and City of Bothell team. We have been working with Raftelis, formerly known as Novak Consulting Group, an award -winning consulting firm, to manage the hiring of Bothell’s next City Manager. Raftelis has been conducting an objective, nationwide recruitment search to ensure we have a diverse group of experienced professionals to choose from. We received 45 applicants in the initial phase alone and City Council has been working closely with the consultant, staff, and the community to interview and prioritize candidates for further interviews and forums.
On Tuesday, December 1, in an open public session, the City Council unanimously selected one of the candidates to move forward in the process and directed staff to negotiate an employment agreement with that individual. Contract negotiations were going well and as planned. However, for personal reasons the candidate was made aware of during those negotiations, the candidate made the decision to remove themselves from consideration.
We look forward to evaluating several other options and determining next steps with our newly elected City Council in early January. City Council and staff appreciate the involvement of our community and City employees in the process this far. Stay tuned as recruitment continues and next steps are discussed in a public session soon after the New Year.