When asked if they would replace Schnirman — whose two-year contract with the city expires on Jan. 1 — the trio said that they would look at the most qualified candidates for the position before making a decision, but did not rule out keeping him on. They would not say whether they had any particular people in mind for the city manager’s position or for department heads.

For his part, Schnirman said that he would like to stay on the job, mainly to complete a number of recovery and economic development efforts, including a coastal protection project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and infrastructure initiatives to protect the northern part of the city that are under way. He also emphasized that he is part of the local New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program committee, which is working to create a long-term rebuilding plan for Long Beach that would provide the city with millions of dollars.

“Here in City Hall, we remain focused like a laser beam on the city’s recovery and only the city’s recovery,” Schnirman said. “And while it is not the job of the city manager to wade into political season, it is my job to not be distracted by it. At the same time, we’ve come a long way as a city in the last 21 months. We’ve rescued ourselves from the brink of bankruptcy, we’ve managed through the crisis of the storm, and the city is on the comeback trail. We have come way too far to let politics stop the progress now. I can only hope that residents keep that in mind. We’re looking forward to finishing the job, and I’m looking forward to working with City Council members for years to come.”