The Newburgh City Council has scheduled a special work session Thursday to discuss the search for a new city manager.

Mayor Nicholas Valentine and other members of the City Council plan to discuss the qualifications of potential candidates via conference call with Jim Mercer, president of the executive search firm, the Mercer Group, at 6 p.m.

The meeting will convene in the Council Chambers and then likely move to the mayor’s office in an executive session.

The city has been without a permanent  city manager since Jean-Ann McGrane was fired in January of 2009. Since that time it has been served by a total of five acting city managers, beginning with Water Superintendent John Platt in January of last year. He served until March, when he stepped aside. The city offered the position to outgoing Sleepy Hollow Mayor Philip Zegarelli, who turned down the city’s request. Instead the job went to former Sleepy Hollow Manager Dwight Douglas who served until August. Douglas, sensitive to criticism leveled by City Council members, cited lack of unified leadership on the City Council as his reason for quitting. His replacement, City Comptroller Charles Emberger, lasted only a month before leaving to become comptroller of the Village of Peekskill.
In September, the council appointed former Croton-on-Hudson Village Manager  Rick Herbeck as acting city manager. Herbeck, still on the job, is a candidate for the permanent position.