City manager hopefuls all make the final cut

All five of the city manager candidates vying to head Carson City’s government staff cleared Thursday’s hurdle and will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors on May 2.

The board decided against trimming the field, voting instead without dissent to take the measure of Jeffrey Fontaine, Stacey Giomi, Timothy Hacker, Micholas Marano and James Nichols before making a decision. After the May 1 regular Thursday board meeting, there will be one-on-one meetings between each candidate and board member for 15 minutes to get better acquainted briefly. The next day, a Friday, the formal public board interviews will follow.

Fontaine is the executive director of the Nevada Association of Counties. Giomi is the city’s fire chief and a city employee of 30 years. Hacker formerly was city manager in North Las Vegas and Mesquite. Marano, a former Marine colonel who ran Fort Pendleton in Southern California, is now a consultant. Nichols formerly was assistant city manager in Midland, Texas, and deputy city manager in Las Vegas.

Heather Renschler of Ralph Andersen & Associates, a head hunting firm that screened 70 candidates, ushered the board through the public vetting process. She said that after the May 2 interviews the board would make a selection and, she hoped, choose a backup as well in case negotiations with the top choice didn’t work out. Mayor Robert Crowell and Renschler will handle those negotiations.

The board previously established a salary range of $140,000 to $180,000 for the city’s top executive post.

The quintet of candidates already interviewed with an 11-member citizens’ panel. Those videotaped interviews and citizens’ panel reactions are available at carson.org.

Interim City Manager Marena Works, deputy city manager until late last year, has filled the city’s top executive role since then City Manager Larry Werner resigned the post Dec. 19.