And then there was 1

PALMER — The list of known candidates in the running for Mat-Su Borough manager is down to one.

That would be Don Baird, town manager of Granby, Colo.

The borough assembly had slowly whittled the list of candidates for the job, which is essentially the borough’s highest un-elected office and runs the government’s daily operations, down from an initial 75. They brought that number down to 11, then to seven, then to three. But according to reports out of Tacoma, Wash., Gregory Young was offered the job but chose to stay in his position as city administrator of Ferndale, Wash.

So the list was narrowed to Baird and Desmond Mayo, accounting director for Crowley Petroleum Distribution in Anchorage. Last week Mayo took his name off the list as well.

But that doesn’t mean Baird has the job. The assembly voted last week to spend $24,000 to bring in a consultant to drum up a list of candidates for the position. The contract went to a Florida firm, Colin Baeziger and Associates, which will report back with a list of candidates.

Mayo said he had no hard feelings about the search process.

“I just felt like I had a lot of good experience on what they were doing to look to become more efficient,” he said. “I do wish the borough assembly all the luck in the world.”

As for why he took himself out of the running; he just got the impression that he wasn’t going to be offered the job. Over the course of the selection process he submitted an employment contract. He didn’t hear back from the assembly so he submitted a revised one, asking for less compensation. Again he didn’t hear back.

“I can’t speak for them, but I was not contacted by them so I assumed on my part that for whatever reason they were not going to entertain negotiations with me,” Mayo said.

The borough, he said, has used a “unique” process to find a new chief executive. He noted that in the private sector, generally when the top choice declines a job offer you go with your second-highest ranking candidate. The borough has apparently decided to start over, he said. But Mayo said he’s perfectly happy to get back to work at Crowley without the distraction of the application process.

He enjoys the job he has now and actually hadn’t been seeking a change. Mayo is a borough government veteran, having worked there as controller and director of finance. He worked under then-manager Don Moore. He said when John Duffy left the borough earlier this year, Moore apparently got to thinking about who might be a good replacement and Mayo’s name came up.

“What were you thinking? Why would I ever want to do that?” Mayo said was his reaction when he talked to Moore about it.

But he eventually came around. He said he’s the type of person who likes to tackle challenges and the borough has its share.

”The challenges facing the borough would be very rewarding to be able to work on those,” Mayo said. “Those were the reasons why I applied and I don’t know who the assembly will choose, but I wish them all the best.”

Having not been privy to the discussions about the manager’s position — most of them were behind closed doors — Mayo said he really has no idea what it was that took him out of the running. Was it his resume? His salary requests?

“Maybe someday I’ll figure out what it was,” Mayo said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.