Council to Try Search Firm Again for Another City Manager Hunt

La Grange City Council voted Monday night to hire Government Professional Solutions (GPS) to conduct a search for candidates to fill the vacant city manager position.

The Council met in executive session Monday, Sept. 11, to discuss the city manager search. GPS is the same firm the City hired last year to find a replacement for Shawn Raborn, the City’s long-time city manager who retired last year.

A number of the candidates identified by GPS dropped out of the running before Fred Bell was hired. He held the job for just six months before resigning in August.

Interim City Manager Frank Menefee said GPS will conduct the search at no cost to the City other than small expenses for printing brochures, advertising and conducting background checks.

Also at the meeting, Mayor Jan Dockery appointed a committee that will work with GPS during the search. The committee is composed of Council members Violet Zbranek, Kathy Weishuhn, Ken Taylor and Bryan Kerr.

In other business Monday night, Council held a public hearing on the proposed property tax rate for next year within the City. The rate will drop from $0.19953 per $100 of taxable value to $0.18668 per $100. The proposed rate is the highest rate Council could set without seeking voter approval. No one from the public spoke during the hearing.

The Council voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance setting the tax rate. They also voted unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance authorizing the City budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. In addition, they voted unanimously to approve the second readings to set the rates for water, sewer, electric and garbage utilities.

Mayor Jan Dockery also signed a proclamation designating Sept. 11 as 9/11 National MomentofRemembranceDay. Dockery then led the meeting in a moment of silence to honor the victims of 9/11.