The Erie Town Council will soon meet candidates for town manager, after a divided council vote earlier this year fired Malcolm Fleming, who had held the position since 2019.

Raftelis, the recruiting firm hired by the town, started reviewing applications for the town manager spot last week. The recruitment team will narrow down candidates, who will then complete the first round of interviews. From that group, a set of finalist candidates will be chosen and made public by Sept. 23.

On Sept. 29, the Town Council is set to hold interviews during a public meeting, when each candidate will complete an interview.

Finalist candidates will also be invited to participate in a public meet and greet event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Erie Community Center. There, candidates will answer pre-selected questions before having “discussions with interested residents at small group tables,” a town announcement says.

Participants will be asked to complete a short questionnaire at the end of the event to share impressions about each candidate with the Town Council.

In Erie, the town manager serves as the chief administrative officer, responsible for executive oversight for the town’s operations, departments and personnel. The manager is to be appointed by a majority vote of the Town Council members.

Candidates for town manager were encouraged to complete an application by end of day Aug. 31, though the town’s online job listing says the position is “open until filled.” The listing says the expected hiring range for the position is $250,000 to $300,000.

The search for a new town manager comes after the Erie Town Council, in a divided February vote, decided to fire Fleming.

The 4-3 vote to terminate Fleming’s contract followed a heated and public debate among council members after Mayor Andrew Moore earlier that month said he had “concluded that it is time for a change at the top,” and asked the council to consider dismissing Fleming from the role.

Council members later in February selected Meredyth Muth, director of administrative services and operations, to serve as the interim town manager.