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NEDERLAND — Nederland city leaders have hired Strategic Government Resources in a bid to fill the city manager’s seat.

The current city manager, Chris Duque, recently tendered his resignation with no set date for departure but saying it would be in the summer.

The cost for the executive recruitment services is not to exceed $27,669. This breaks down to a set fee of $25,169 and $2,500 for ad placement, Duque said. 

A number of residents were in attendance at Monday’s council meeting including three individuals including Jeff Darby who is running for the mayor’s seat currently held by Don Albanese, Britton Jones who is seeking the Ward 2 seat held by Sylvia Root and Jeff Ortiz who is running for the Ward 4 seat held by David Guillot.

The upcoming election is set for May 3. 

Resident Rene O’Connor pondered what role Duque would have in selecting the new city manager — the answer is none.

Ward 1 Councilman Bret Duplant explained the city manager does not hire anyone; the city council does this duty as well as the positions of police chief, finance director and city clerk.

Darby, however, was one of several who expressed concern over the timing of the hiring of a new city manager.

The upcoming election is set for May 3 and council and the mayor’s seats are up and should the newcomers be victorious they will enter their seats with a city manager hired by a previous group of people.

Jones expressed his own concern that Duque did not set a hard date for his departure, wondering if Duque could possibly change his mind and stay.

“What if he changes his mind? Jones said. “What if we get a new city manager and he decides he wants to stay? Do we hire a new city manager while he’s still here? Because these are legit questions that I have.”

There is nothing to stop Duque from changing his mind but he has turned in his resignation, Duplant answered. 

“He’s given us until the summer so that his kids are out of school but tomorrow he could accept a job and be gone before that,” Duplant said. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing, not because we want to beat the election. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do.”

There is no set timeline for the hiring of a new city manager at this point. Duque speculated the council will want a workshop to discuss the issue and by Feb. 10 to begin talks of a search committee. In about 12 weeks job interviews could be underway.

Nederland isn’t the only municipality to use this particular search firm.

Port Neches City Council used Strategic Government Resources in their search for a new public works director in 2022 after the retirement of Taylor Shelton. 

In February 2023, Strategic Government Resources was one of four prospective firms seeking the contract to find a new city manager for Groves after D.E. Sosa left. 

Groves Council elected to use Slavin Management Consultants instead and hired Kevin Carruth.  The search spanned months with Carruth being hired in October 2023.

In 2024 the City of Port Arthur utilized Strategic Government Resources in their search for a new city attorney with the retirement of Valecia Tizeno. The search took about four months.

Port Arthur utilized Strategic Government Resources for other executive searches in the past from a city manager search to a finance director search to a police chief.