The City of Bloomington is moving forward in its search for a new city manager, revealing four top contenders for the position. The finalists are Kathy Hedin, currently the Interim City Manager of Bloomington; Noah Schuchman, City Manager of Golden Valley; Cindy Steinhauser, Deputy City Administrator of Rochester; and Zach Walker, City Manager of Independence, Missouri. According to a recent announcement by the city, these candidates are set to undergo the first round of interviews with the City Council on the upcoming Monday, July 14.
The search for the new city manager was conducted by Mosaic Public Partners, a firm chosen for its expertise in placing public sector executives. To clearly understand the city's priorities, the search firm gathered insights from various sections of the community, including the City Council, stakeholders, and city staff. The application period, which lasted from May 16 to June 16, brought in applicants from across the entire nation. Following a preliminary screening, the City Council was presented with a group of potential candidates on June 23, from which they selected the four current finalists.
Bloomington, a home-rule charter city, is run by a seven-member City Council and adheres to a council-manager form of government. The new city manager will be at the helm of managing a staff comprised of 650 both full- and part-time employees, and will be responsible for a total budget of roughly $242 million, with the general fund budget accounting for $110 million. These fiscal responsibilities highlight the significance of the selection process and the expectations placed on the chosen candidate.
The position of the city manager became available after Jamie Verbrugge's resignation this past December. Verbrugge, who held the city manager post for a decade, chose to leave for an opportunity to lead Catholic Charities Twin Cities. As Bloomington continues to navigate this transition, the selection of a new city manager is seen as a critical step to ensure the sustained management and growth of the city.
