The job of picking which of the four finalists will get the job as city manager will be harder than expected, said Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McCombs after hearing the men answer council questions in an open meeting Tuesday, April 16. The final four spent the previous two days in the city taking tours, meeting with the public, and getting to know council members before the open meeting. Council then went into executive session to make a decision — just not one they will be announcing immediately.
“What we have found out over the last three days is that we’ve got a tougher decision than we thought we had,” McComb said before the questioning began. “It will be a challenge for us. They have all impressed the council.”
At that time, he also noted this is the last step in the process before the decision is announced. After executive session, McComb made a brief statement that an announcement would be made only after the hiring firm Slavens and Associates worked out contract agreements with the chosen candidate. That could be several days.
Each candidate was brought into council chambers individually and asked the same  three questions. They were given 20 minutes for an opening statement, to address the questions, then give a closing statement. None of the candidates used the full 20 minutes.
First up was Harry Black, former city manager for Cincinnati.
“You are not only selecting a city manager for the Corpus Christi of today but someone who can move the city where it’s going to be tomorrow in terms of its growth and development,” he said in his opening statement. “I understand the significance of that and am prepared to take on that responsibility.”
When asked to provide examples of implementing or adapting best practices in previous jobs, Black spoke about how he used performance management and data analytics to cut the time it took to issue a building permit from 12 weeks to less than 10 days. The program improved performance and morale among staff.
Next up was Lee Feldman, former city manager for Fort Lauderdale.
His philosophy is to treat ratepayers, taxpayers, residents, and voters as neighbors.
“We should think of everyone in this community as our next-door neighbor, someone we would visit over the fence with,” he said. “That changes your way of thinking. The city is only as strong as its weakest neighborhoods. Bringing those neighborhoods up creates prosperity for the city.”
For examples of implementing best practices, he talked about his work with FEMA on adopting hot zone response training and equipment to deal with active shooters and save lives. He also pointed to the use of procurement cards and rebates for making major purchases.
“Being strategic about it, we were able to increase our rebates from $40,000 a year to $920,000 a year,” he said.
Third to meet with the council was San Antonio Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni.
“I have been a part of a nationally recognized management team in San Antonio,” Zanoni said. “I have been part of a team that brought a low-performing city into a high-performing city and would love to do that here in Corpus Christi as well.”
He said he would set clear expectations for city staff with a focus on improving infrastructure, public safety, and emergency preparedness. He pointed to his experience working with bond programs for infrastructure, libraries, and community centers.
“Over the past three bond cycles, San Antonio has spent $3 billion on bond projects,” he said. “This is not about the price tag; it’s about the execution. It’s one thing to pass a bond issue, but you also have to execute it and execute it on time and within budget.”
None of the bond projects he was in charge of in San Antonio missed a deadline or went over budget.
Finally, interim City Manager Keith Selman took his turn. Before the questions began, McComb thanked him for his service during the past nine months.
“We are deeply grateful to your for your help in this interim,” McComb said. “But as you know, as an interim, that it will have to come to an end. Things will change. I want to thank you for what you’ve done for our community.”
Selman returned the thanks in his opening statement.
“I want to thank you and the council for your support of me in this role,” he said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be here and to be considered a candidate to serve this community.”
He said he would like to implement the Texas Department of Transportation’s model for running a road improvement program.
“They establish a percentage of what roadways they want in good condition,” he said. “I will be bringing something forward to develop policy on what percentage we want. It will take a lot of data, and we will have to stair-step to get to that percentage.”
He also addressed the difference between public service and customer service.
“Customer service is what you get when you walk into a McDonald’s,” he said. “Everyone walks into McDonald’s by choice. Those who come to local government do so out of necessity. Raising that bar to public service will produce results and build moral.”
Each of the four candidates left after his responses. The council went into executive session and continued on with other business when they came out. No announcement was made as to their choice for the next city manager.