The search is set to begin for the next Fort Smith city administrator. The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (Aug. 19) directed the city’s human resources office to begin seeking applications for the city’s top job.
After emerging from executive session following the board’s regular meeting Tuesday, Director Jarred Rego moved that the city’s HR department post the administrator job on the city’s website on Sept. 2, and keep the posting up for 45 days.
Rego also moved that Director Lee Kemp serve as the board’s liaison with the HR department during the search. Kemp was the liaison for the board during the recently concluded search for a director of internal audit. The board voted 5-1 for Rego’s motion, with Director André Good voting against it.
The action to hire an administrator comes more than 8 months after the board fired Carl Geffken as city administrator. Geffken was hired to be the Fort Smith city administrator in March 2016 with a salary of $175,000. His annual salary when he was fired was $204,513. Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman was named acting city administrator following Geffken’s dismissal.
Dingman, who applied for the job prior to Geffken being hired, told Talk Business & Politics he plans to again seek the top city post. Tuesday’s executive session included a performance review of Dingman as acting city administrator.
Rego said his goal in using the city’s HR department is to avoid the expense of using a national search firm.