BETHEL -- A summerlong search for a new city manager here will stretch into fall after the top candidate rejected the position Saturday.
The City Council met for about an hour in a closed-door session to respond to candidate Walt Bratton's counter-offer only to have him say thanks but no thanks.
The council on Wednesday offered him $110,000 a year plus a $5,500 relocation allowance. After he asked for more money and other benefits, the council on Saturday boosted the pay to a record $120,000 but didn't agree to most of his other requests, including city-paid membership to the new city aquatic center.
Bratton, who last worked as a parks and recreation director in New Mexico and is from Washington state, said he learned a lot from his interview trip to Bethel last week and thanked the council.
He said he had other job offers and was going with one of them.
Mayor Joe Klejka said after the meeting that the council would take another look at other candidates but might start the search fresh. New city council members will be picked in the Oct. 7 city election and the task likely will fall to the new council, he said. Three seats on the seven-member council will be decided and just one incumbent is running.
Acting city manager Greg Moyer did not apply for the job. He plans to leave the position later this month.