Smyrna Council plans to spend $25K on executive search firm to find next town manager

The Smyrna Town Council expects to replace retired Town Manager Brian Hercules through an executive search firm pursuing applicants.

"We would be better served by looking at an outside firm to get as many possible candidates as we can," council member Steve Sullivan said during a recent meeting.

The council agreed to meet at 10 a.m. May 6 at Town Hall to review search firms with a goal of offering an estimated $25,000 contract by the May 14 meeting that starts at 5 p.m.

The elected council had used the Smyrna government's Human Resources staff to pursue the previous two searches to hire Hercules in 2018 and retired former Town Manager Harry Gill Jr. in 2013, town HR Director Jeff Craig said.

Hercules retired April 15 after a March 5 referendum with over 71% of Smyrna's voters rejecting his proposal to eliminate the town's General Sessions Court. He also had faced complaints accusing him of intimidation, harassment and retaliation, including from both of Smyrna's elected judicial officials: Town Court Judge Brittany Stevens and Town Court Clerk Lisa Brewer.

The retired town manager was making an annual salary of $201,058.

Local government conflict: Smyrna Judge Brittany Stevens' lawyer demands investigation of Town Manager Brian Hercules

Interim town manager says he won't apply to keep job

Smyrna Town Attorney Jeff Peach has served as the interim town manager. Peach after the recent meeting said he will not be competing to continue to serve as the town manager. He has served as the town attorney since 2013. Peach has worked with the town government for 28 years, including 12 years with the Police Department. He had served as a detective prior to becoming an assistant town attorney in 2008.

The process to hire the next town manager using an executive search firm staff should take 90 to 100 says, said Craig, the director overseeing Smyrna's human resources.

"Most of the staff that are doing the recruiting have been in public service," Craig told the council. "They’ve been city managers. They’ve been directors."

Craig during the recent meeting ranked the top three search firms to consider as Mercer Group Associates, Gov HR and Koff & Associates.

Complaint against Hercules: Smyrna Clerk accuses Town Manager of 'bullying and belittling behaviors'

An in-house search by HR staff would cost an estimated $10K

The chosen firm will handle the recruitment process from start to finish through a national search. This includes the firm meeting with Smyrna officials to learn what the goals and issues are for the town, as well as the desired qualifications for the next town manager. The process includes screening of applicants to narrow a list down to help the council choose the top five to seven candidates, Craig said.

The final phase will involve the chosen firm pursuing background checks of the finalists and scheduling interviews for the council to talk to each finalist, Craig said.

The chosen firm also will be involved with negotiating for a job offer and can even draft an employment agreement for the town attorney to review, Craig added.

Should the hired town manager vacate the job within a year, the hired firm would start a new search and only charge expenses, Craig said.

If the council wanted Craig and his HR staff to handle the search for the next town manager, he estimates the costs would be $10,000.

Response to complaints: Smyrna Town Manager Brian Hercules asks for independent review of 'bullying' complaints by elected officials

Neighboring Murfreesboro government chooses in-house search for city manager

If the Smyrna government uses an outside search firm as expected, the decision would contrast with the Murfreesboro City Council deciding to use in-house HR staff to pursue applicants within the government to promote for the city manager job.

Promoting from within city: Both of Murfreesboro's 'well qualified' assistant city managers apply for city manager job

Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall recently announced he'll be vacating his position by July 2 and take on a new special counsel attorney role for his government.

Tindall had previously served as the Murfreesboro city attorney for over two years before accepting promotion in 2018 after the council rejected a previous executive search of applicants for city manager.

The Murfreesboro city manager will vacate his current job after overseeing efforts to prepare for the government's budget for the next fiscal year that starts July 1.

Change in leadership: Murfreesboro City Manager Tindall to leave current position, move into new spot

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Meeting time and date in search for next town manager

The Smyrna Town Council will examine executive search firms competing to help the elected officials pursue town manager applicants during a 10 a.m. May 6 meeting at Town Hall.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Smyrna Council plans to spend $25K to search for next town manager