The City of Ketchikan is once again looking for its new manager. Keith Morey had been selected by the city for the job but withdrew his name from consideration yesterday afternoon, just hours before the city council planned to finalize his employment contract.
Morey was flown in to Ketchikan last month with another candidate for final interviews. The council selected Morey in a special meeting mid-December.
The city manager is responsible for overseeing local utilities and city government operations, like council meetings. The search has been going on for nearly a year, when former city manager Delilah Walsh stepped down.
Mayor Bob Sivertsen said the city council still has to decide what happens going forward. They could open up a whole new application process or go back to the pool of candidates they had previously.
Acting City Manager Lacey Simpson, who has been in the position since Walsh stepped down, said the council plans to hold a special meeting in the near future to decide next steps in the hiring process.
Both Simpson and Sivertsen declined to comment on the reason why Morey withdrew his name from consideration.
