The Daily Sentinel
By NICOLE BRADFORD Staff Writer
May 23, 2023

Instead of hiring an outside firm, the City of Nacogdoches will use its own staff to recruit a new city manager.

After an hour-long closed meeting, city council took no action Monday, but Mayor Randy Johnson said much was accomplished in outlining what they are looking for in a candidate to succeed Mario Canizares, who in February left for another position in North Texas. Nacogdoches Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Kiplinger has been serving as interim city manager.

“We need to do a lot of things before we get there and we got all we could get done,” Johnson said. “We’re going to meet back on June 8 and take it to the next step.”

Johnson says he has full confidence in the city’s HR Director Bonita Hall.

“I’ve never worked with anyone as knowledgeable in human resources,” he said. “We have all the confidence in the world that Bonita can do this.”

Canizares was hired in 2020 after an executive search by SGR, an outside firm specializing in recruiting administrative positions nationwide.

“We’re not going to be out $25,000 looking for a new city manager that could possibly be right under our noses,” Johnson said.

A capital needs committee that has been meeting all year is expected to present recommendations to the council in July, and those recommendations may include a bond election.

“We’re going to have to go to the people in the fall on capital needs that we absolutely have do to — streets, drainage, fire stations,” Johnson said, “so we’re going to be prudent in the money we spend.”

The process is expected to take about four months.

“I don’t like to put a timetable on anything,” Johnson said. “It depends on what the talent pool is like.”