LITCHFIELD -- The names of the four finalists for Litchfield's city administrator position have been announced by the city.
The city at first withheld the names, but after members of the local media challenged the decision based on requirements in the state's Data Practices Act, the city finally revealed the names Tuesday.
The candidates will be interviewed today and Thursday by the City Council's personnel committee at City Hall. The public may attend the interviews.
The list was released to the media by Mayor Vern Madson on Tuesday morning.
The candidates, their current title and city and their interview times are:
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- Michael S. Funk, city administrator at Olivia, 5 p.m. Wednesday
- Luayn Murphy, city administrator/treasurer at Mayer, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
- Joyce Spreiter, acting city administrator for Litchfield, 5 p.m. Thursday.
The fourth candidate, Aaron S. Reeves, city administrator/clerk/treasurer at Kenyon, withdrew his name from consideration Tuesday afternoon, Madson said.
The public announcement of the names comes a week after the Litchfield City Council's personnel committee announced to the full City Council that its members had selected the finalists and that interviews were set with each of the finalists.
However, the city's attorney, Mark Wood, advised that the names did not have to be released due to the fact that the committee, not the full council, was conducting the interview and selection process.
Under the Data Practices Act, the names of finalists become public when they are selected, according to the Tribune's attorney, Mark Anfinson.
He said it makes no difference whether the full council or a committee has selected the finalists.
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The personnel committee includes Madson, council members Barb Altringer and Steve Black and former council member Pete Kormanik. City engineer Brad DeWolf will also attend the interviews.
The committee expects to recommend its first and second choice for the administrator job at the Jan. 16 council meeting.
The city is searching for an administrator after Bruce Miller retired in October.
Miller served as Litchfield's administrator for nearly 20 years.
