Genoa reopens manager search

Genoans decided Tuesday to reopen the job search for a new town manager after Californian Andrew Sheehy turned down a $50,000 job offer.

Rather than offer the job to one of the other two finalists, the town board voted 3-1 to start the search again.

The lone "no" vote was from board member Brian Williams, who said he put in a substantial amount of time on the search and wasn't willing to do it over again.

Board member Bill Donohoe said it wouldn't be fair to the two other candidates to be offered the job without going back through the process.

Donohoe said Sheehy didn't want the job and if they hired one of the others that person would always be looked on as the second choice.

Interim Town Manager Lisa Granahan pointed out that recruiting for the previous search closed on Oct. 15 and that it took about two months for the board to come to a conclusion. She said that a new recruitment could close on Jan. 14.

Board chairwoman Kitty DeSocio suggested the process could be streamlined.

Pressure is on to find a new town manager because that person also serves as coordinator for Candy Dance, a fundraiser that accounts for about 80 percent of the town's budget.

Present events coordinator Sheryl Gonzales' contract expires on Jan. 30 which coincides with the time that letters go out to vendors for the annual crafts fair, which raises most of the town's spending money.

The town has gone a year without a manager thanks to a contract with Douglas County that provided Granahan to manage the town and paid for Gonzales' contract.

In August, County Manager Dan Holler told the Genoans that the county would not be able to continue the contract and they decided to pursue hiring a new town manager.