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BEMIDJI 鈥� Richard Spiczka has been selected as the top candidate in the search for a new Bemidji City Manager.

Following two rounds of interviews last week, the Bemidji City Council recommended Spiczka for the role during a special meeting on Tuesday evening.

The search for a new city manager comes after the resignation of Nate Mathews in April, who had held the role since 2015.

Spiczka, who currently serves as the City Administrator for Pequot Lakes, Minn., was one of three finalists selected by the council. The others under consideration were Sharon Eveland, the Village Administrator of Shorewood Hills, Wis., and Mark Lemen Jr., the Director of Public Works in Glencoe, Minn.

While the council noted the quality of all three candidates, Spiczka was the top choice of the majority of councilors, with the exceptions of Ward 1 Councilor Gwenia Fiskevold Gould and Ward 4 Councilor Emelie Rivera who both preferred Eveland.

Four councilors ranked the candidates as Spiczka, Eveland then Lemen, in that order. Ward 3 Councilor Ron Johnson kept Spiczka in the top spot but altered the order to Spiczka, Lemen, Eveland. Fiskevold Gould ranked the candidates Eveland, Spiczka, Lemen; and Rivera ranked them Eveland, Lemen, Spiczka.

鈥淚 thought Mr. Spiczka came off as very confident, very experienced (and with) broad experience,鈥� shared Ward 5 Councilor Lynn Eaton. 鈥淢s. Eveland struck me as more a facilitator, and Mr. Lemen really wants to be in Bemidji but his experience is narrow.鈥�

Councilors also noted Spiczka鈥檚 confidence and leadership style, with Ward 2 Councilor Josh Peterson connecting it to Spiczka鈥檚 experience as an athletic coach.

鈥淚 would say (Spiczka) is a coach, you can hear that demeanor of confidence,鈥� Peterson commented. 鈥淭aking on a challenge, you need someone confident in that role.鈥�

At-Large Councilor Audrey Thayer shared that though she wasn鈥檛 perfectly satisfied with any candidate, she placed Spiczka as her top choice.

鈥淎ll three would need to have work in the community on what diversity and inclusion mean in our city, all three would have to work on including the unheard in our city (and to) work diligently in economic development,鈥� she explained.

While the majority of the council had Spiczka as their top candidate, Fiskevold Gould and Rivera shared why they preferred Eveland.

鈥淓veland really stood out to me with her experience in all the different municipal roles,鈥� Fiskevold Gould shared. 鈥淯nderstanding the roles and how they actually operate is critical鈥� She was also the only candidate that had something to say (for the question on diversity), and that鈥檚 one of the main things we talked about (wanting in a candidate).鈥�

Rivera echoed Fiskevold Gould and added Eveland鈥檚 14 years in government leadership, and that she had consistently answered all parts of the interview questions where Rivera felt the other two candidates had not.

鈥淭he other two candidates didn鈥檛 even come close to the minimum preferred qualifications,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥�(Spiczka) has far less experience and didn鈥檛 even meet all of the minimum qualifications as far as I could see.鈥�

Spiczka has served as a city administrator since 2021, and had previously worked as Pequot Lakes鈥� Community Education Director, but does not hold a master鈥檚 degree in public administration or management like the other two candidates.

鈥淚 appreciate some of those transferable skills, (but) educational experience is not equivalent to government experience,鈥� Rivera said.

Mayor Jorge Prince shared that he had a difficult time choosing between each of the candidates, alongside his belief that all of them were qualified to take on the role of city manager and had been chosen as finalists with the approval of at least six of the seven councilors.

鈥淚 know the question had come up before about (Spiczka鈥檚) experience, a part of (hiring consulting firm Baker Tilly) is for them to pre-qualify candidates,鈥� Prince said. 鈥淪ix of us moved this person forward, so I don鈥檛 know how later on in the game I could now say this person is unqualified.鈥�

Prince also expressed his preference for Spiczka, sharing his belief that Spiczka鈥檚 skills and philosophies were what Bemidji need at this point in time.

鈥淚 think each of (the candidates) could lead our city forward,鈥� Prince said. 鈥淲hoever comes in is going to have to hit the floor running. I had a really hard time, but ultimately I ended up going with Mr. Spiczka for this reason.鈥�

The council moved to approve representatives to enter into contract negotiations with Spiczka in a 5-2 vote, with Fiskevold Gould and Rivera opposed.