Tacoma City Council announced Tuesday it has picked five finalists for the position of city manager. The candidates include current interim city manager Rey Arellano; Lakewood city manager Andrew Neiditz; San Antonio, Texas assistant city manager T. C. Broadnax; Augusta, Georgia city administrator Frederick Russell; and Davenport, Iowa city administrator Craig Malin. City Hall received nearly six-dozen applications for the position, which opened in July when former city manager Eric Anderson was fired.

Citizens can meet the finalists on Dec. 8 from 4-6 p.m. at a moderated public forum to take place in room 315 of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center located at 1500 Broadway. The forum will also be broadcast live on TV Tacoma on Channel 12 and online at http://www.tvtacoma.com . The public may also attend a reception for the candidates following the forum from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of the convention center. The finalists will be in Tacoma on Dec. 7-10 for a series of panel interviews with community stakeholders as well as interviews with members of the City Council. City Councilmembers are scheduled to discuss the qualifications of the finalists in executive session on Dec. 12 and to hold a public deliberation and selection of the new City Manager during the Dec. 13 Council meeting.

Rey Arellano — Arellano is currently serving as interim city manager for the City of Tacoma and is responsible for a $2.7 billion biennial budget and 2,400 employees. Since 2006, Arellano has served as the deputy city manager and chief information officer for the city. Prior to Tacoma, Arellano worked for the City of San Diego, Calif. as the deputy city manager and chief information officer from 2002-2006, and from 1999-2002 he was a group project manager for Ryder System Inc.

Andrew Neiditz — Neiditz has worked as city manager of Lakewood, Wash. since 2005. Neiditz manages an $87 million budget and has oversight over a six member executive team, 15 member management team and 250 employees. Prior to this position, he was the city administrator for Sumner from 1999-2005, the deputy city manager of Lakewood from 1996-1999, and the executive director of public safety from 1993-1996.

T.C. Broadnax — Broadnax has worked as the assistant city manager in San Antonio, Texas since 2006. San Antonio is a full-service city with an operating budget of $1.6 billion and 11,600 employees. Prior to this position he was the assistant city manager for the city of Pompano Beach, Fla. from 2004-2006, the deputy city manager from 2001-2004 and the assistant to the city manager/budget officer from 1997-2001.

Frederick Russell — Russell has worked as city administrator for Augusta, Ga. since 2005. Russell currently manages a staff of 2,700 employees and a budget of $600 million. Prior to this he was the deputy administrator for Augusta from 2002-2004, was a consultant for the Lindl Corporation from 2001-2002, and was the deputy chief executive officer for the City of Richmond Police Department.

Craig Malin — Malin has worked as the city administrator of Davenport, Iowa since 2001. As city administrator, he leads 15 department heads, 1,000 employees and oversees a $210 million annual budget. From 1999 to 2001, Malin was the chief administrative officer for Douglas County, Wis. and the assistant manager, assistant to the manager and administrative assistant in Vernon Hills, Ill.

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