'Exhaustive' search for new Long Beach city manager continues

The City Council has received between 50 to 60 resumes as it continues its search for a successor to former City Manager Jack Schnirman — who was elected Nassau County comptroller in November — though Council Vice President Chumi Diamond said no specific date has been set for hiring his replacement.

“It’s a difficult decision,” Diamond told residents at the March 20 council meeting. “We want to make sure that we have the appropriate individual. It’s a slow process and it takes time, and we need to ensure that we’ve gone through an exhaustive search and really understand who we’re selecting. There’s a lot of factors that need to go into consideration; we need to make sure that the person has all the skills and priorities that we share.”

The city formally began its search in December, and voted unanimously that month to appoint Police Commissioner Mike Tangney acting city manager until a successor is hired. Tangney is not receiving an additional salary or stipends while serving as acting city manager, and continues to oversee the Police Department.

As the city prepares its annual budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, the council is also searching a new comptroller following the departure of Kristie Hansen-Hightower last year. Hightower continues to serve as a consultant to the city.

“We’re now close to April 2018 and we’re six months into the [search] process,” resident Dina Fiore told the council after she asked for an update. “I think it’s unfair to the residents of the City of Long Beach that they’ve been left in the dark.”

The job ad for city manager was posted on Indeed and other websites in December, after Council President Anthony Eramo, along with council members Scott Mandel, Anissa Moore, Diamond, and then Councilman-elect John Bendo worked on its language.

The ad states: “The city manager will implement and oversee policies crafted by the City Council, as well as manage this full-service city with 363 full-time employees and a fiscal year 2017-18 total budget of $110 million. The incoming city manager will be a seasoned professional and forward-thinking visionary who possesses expertise in municipal finance and financial administration; and is capable of handling economic development while ensuring the long-term financial stability of the city.”

The search for both a city manager and comptroller comes as the city faces a number of financial challenges, including ongoing costs associated with Hurricane Sandy and a potentially crippling $50 million judgment the city may be ordered to pay a developer.

On March 22, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office moved the city’s level of fiscal stress from the "moderate" to “significant” category, the highest level under DiNapoli’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, citing short-term borrowing, a deteriorating fund balance and increased operating deficits for fiscal 2017, adding that the city has been “trending in the wrong direction” financially over the past few years.

Officials, however, attributed the level change to reimbursements the city has yet to receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state for Sandy rebuilding costs. On Tuesday, the council is expected to vote on a short-term borrowing measure to issue $4 million in tax anticipation notes while awaiting additional reimbursements for boardwalk rebuilding costs.

“The city’s recovery from Superstorm Sandy is still felt today,” the city said in a statement. “This short term cash flow note is in anticipation of the receipt of approved FEMA and New York State funds associated with the boardwalk reconstruction.”

Tangney has said that he would serve as acting city manager only until a permanent replacement was found and has not applied for the position. Those with knowledge of the interview process said that the council is unlikely to complete its search until after it votes on the budget in May, though Eramo told residents at the meeting that he hopes a decision is made soon.

“I think we’ll hopefully be making a decision fairly soon, but that’s something we have to decide as a council,” he said.

“The City Council is actively engaged in the search process for the city manager,” Moore said after the meeting. “Interviews are being conducted, with the optimal goal in mind to find the most qualified candidate that will move our city forward in the midst of transition and fiscal challenges.”

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Tangney was appointed acting city manager in January.