From: Williams, Carter <carter@oiventures.com>
Sent: To: Monday, November 10, 2025 8:23 PM
Tom Graham; Reeve 4 HS Council; Jamielynnmelke@gmail.com; kathy.motschall@yahoo.com; Jeanne Benjamin,
Cc: Victor Sinadinoski
Subject: City Manager Search Process
Dear Council Members,
I won’t be at Monday’s meeting, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the city manager search based on
what I’ve learned hiring executives over the years.
Use a professional search firm: This will cost $50K-$60K, which I know feels like a lot. But in my experience,
the best candidates aren’t actively looking. They’re performing well somewhere else. Search firms know how to
quietly reach these people and convince them to consider a move. When you handle searches internally, you
typically get whoever happens to be job hunting at that moment. That’s a much smaller and often weaker pool.
Keep this at the full council level: Don’t delegate this to a subcommittee. That creates the appearance (fair
or not) that a few people are making the decision behind closed doors. This is too important for that perception.
The whole council should own the process, and the community should see you owning it.
Educate the public early: Have the search firm and Michigan Municipal League explain how this works at
your November 17th meeting. Spend 30 mins on the topic. Give them each 5-10 minutes. Most residents have
never seen a city manager search. When people understand the mechanics and timeline, you’ll get less
speculation and more useful input.
Get community input in December: Set aside time for residents and non-resident property owners to tell you
what matters to them in a city manager. Encourage them to send in written comments rather than use up lots
of 3 min slots. Some will care about infrastructure expertise, others about budget discipline, others about
communication style. You’re not designing by committee, you’re gathering intelligence. The search firm can
synthesize themes, you finalize the profile, and make the call.
This takes time: A good search takes 90-120 days, maybe longer. I know there’s pressure to move fast, but
I’ve learned the hard way that rushing executive hires is expensive. A bad fit costs you years of dysfunction
and staff turnover. Use an interim manager and take the time to get this right.
I’d suggest finding the right candidate first, then figuring out compensation based on their value and the
market. Setting salary too early can box you in or cause you to overpay for the wrong person.
The City Manager job shapes everything in Harbor Springs. How the budget reflects priorities. Whether
projects get delivered. How staff and residents experience local government. A transparent process that
produces a strong candidate sets us up for years of stability.
There are many retired people in the area, you all likely know who have hired 100s of executives. Perhaps chat
with them for perspective. You are juggling a lot, and this adds to it. I appreciate the time you’re putting into this. Happy to discuss any of
this if useful.
Note: Please include this letter in the City Council packet.
Carter Williams
carter@oiventures.com