AURORA | It’s clear the next Aurora city manager will have to have a clear vision on navigating the rapidly growing city. The four candidates took the hot seat this weekend for interviews with the council members and all were grilled on growing a big city.
The list of candidates includes: Malcolm Fleming, a former city manager for nearby Louisville; Odis Jones, the current city manager in Hutto, Texas; Keith Riesberg, the current city manager for Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and Jim Twombly, Tulsa’s former city manager.
Former city manager Skip Noe stepped down last fall. Deputy City Manager Jason Batchelor has been holding the position since then.
Council member Allison Hiltz asked candidates how they would approach public safety in Aurora, as more police and fire services are needed as the city grows without burdening existing residents with more taxes. Each of the four candidates said that a conversation should be held with developers.
Jones said a full assessment of police and fire would be something he’d do in his 100 days if he was chosen for the position. Twombly said the city should look at other places the city could save money so that it could allocate more to public safety.
Council member Angela Lawson told the candidates that Aurora can sometimes be “a tale of two cities,” comparing north Aurora to the southeastern reaching regions of the city. She asked how they would address that. All agreed that the city should prioritize both newer and older parts of the city, and that prioritization would be at the discretion of council.
Riesenberg, who said growth is something he regularly addresses in Rio Rancho, said “you don’t want to have growth just for growth’s sake.”
Fleming said he studied the Aurora Places plan — the city’s comprehensive vision for the next 10-20 years — and wanted to be a part of implementing that, but that he would be the wrong guy for the job if the city council wasn’t interested in sticking with the comprehensive plan.
When asked about what they might face as challenges, Fleming noted the division on council. He said he’d want to “channel that conflict” into something productive.
Council members went into executive session after the interviews. But it’s unclear when lawmakers will make an announcement on who will fill the position.
It’s expected to pay up to a mid-$200,000 salary, according to an Aurora spokesperson.
— KARA MASON, Staff Writer
