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MEDFORD POLITICS Recruiting firm didn't pick Patridge Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 5:08 PM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:17 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 5:08 PM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:17 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Updated: Mayor Wheeler says he'll veto Patridge selection • Patridge offered Medford city manager job » Social News A recruiting firm hired by the Medford City Council didn't recommend Rob Patridge for the city manager position because it said he lacked relevant experience. The Mail Tribune obtained a copy of Waters Consulting Group's recommendations for manager applicants after the city was ordered to provide it by Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert. Patridge was offered the job last week by a majority council vote, but Mayor Gary Wheeler has threatened to veto the decision. The heavily redacted report showed recommendations for only the three finalists, who were announced publicly: Patridge, Jon Amundson, assistant city manager from Richland, Wash., and Jim Thompson, a retired city manager from Casa Grande, Ariz. Other finalists listed by Texas-based Waters were crossed out. Councilor Dick Gordon said the recommendations played just a small part in the council's process to select the finalists for city manager. "We took their recommendations and basically modified them," Gordon said. The recommendations were "to help us get started on this." The council voted 5-3 for Patridge on July 21. Wheeler, who has said he doesn't think Patridge is a suitable candidate, has until Monday to veto it. The council would need a 6-2 vote to override his veto. Wheeler hadn't signed the veto as of Thursday afternoon. The recruiting firm, which is being paid $24,500 for the search, indicated Patridge didn't fit the recruitment profile and had a lack of relevant experience. Gordon said one candidate was taken off the list provided by the recruiting firm because of strenuous objections by Wheeler and other councilors. Gordon said he couldn't disclose the name of the candidate. Also, two candidates who currently work for the city were not recommended by Waters. Gordon said he would not disclose their names. However, Mike Snyder, director of the Human Resources Department, had previously said he was applying for the city manager position. "There were other local people who did apply," Gordon said. Gordon said the criteria used by the recruiting firm didn't fully cover all the experience the council would consider in a candidate. Waters recommended both Amundson and Thompson. Thompson was the finalist the council preferred until he withdrew his name for undisclosed reasons. The council also added three additional names to Waters' list, Gordon said. Many of the qualifications that the council sought in a candidate could be applied to Patridge, including "high personal energy and a positive approach," based on a brochure prepared by Waters. The council, which has been looking for a city manager for a year, sought a candidate with a degree in business or public administration or a related field and a minimum of five years' senior managerial service in a municipality or the equivalent. Previous city manager or deputy city manager experience is also listed. Councilor Daniel Bunn, who voted against Patridge, said the city hired a professional recruiting firm to help guide its search. "I think the recommendation from Waters Consulting validated my opinion," Bunn said. Patridge, a longtime local resident and current Klamath County district attorney, said he was unaware of the details of the process the council went through to pick city manager candidates. "I was a nontraditional candidate who brings a strong Oregon public policy perspective to the table," he said. While Patridge doesn't have a public administration degree, he said he does have a law degree. "I viewed a law degree as higher than public administration," he said. Patridge said his legal background would be an asset as the city threads its way through a number of issues, including risk management. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 5:08 PM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:17 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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