5 City Manager Candidates Chosen

Rio Rancho city councilors have picked five candidates from among the dozens who applied for the city manager’s job to attend interviews at the end of November.

The shortlist doesn’t include fired former City Manager Jim Palenick, who indicated in the cover letter for his application that he might be willing to settle a long-running legal dispute with the city if he had a chance at getting his old job back.

The city is seeking a city manager to replace James Jimenez who retired “involuntarily” in July after testy exchanges with councilors elected this spring concerning policy priorities.

The candidates the City Council will interview on Nov. 29 and 30 are all currently working out of state, although two have had work experience in New Mexico.

Here is the list:

♦ Charles Montoya is the director of finance for the town of Castle Rock, Colo. He has a bachelor of business administration degree from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of New Mexico. His work experience includes stints as a legislative financial analyst/executive budget analyst in Santa Fe and as state finance and accounting manager for a national health care provider in Albuquerque.

♦ Gary Jackson is assistant city manager in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston. His career includes a year as deputy manager and four years as village manager for Ruidoso.

♦ Timothy Zisoff is city manager in Indianola, Iowa.

♦ Dennis Stark, who is working as a management consultant in Lyon County, Nev., near Reno, was previously manager of that county.

♦ Jim Pascale has been the administrator of Princeton Township, N.J., since 1983.

Rio Rancho’s Human Resources Department went through the resumes of about 60 candidates who applied for the position then forwarded about 40 that appeared to be qualified for the job to the councilors and mayor for review. Councilors then made their choices, Councilor Lonnie Clayton said.