TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Council members interviewed five candidates Tuesday for the chief of staff position intended to oversee the legislative body's operations and act as a liaison between council and the mayor's office.
The chief of staff position was proposed earlier in 2023 and stems from discussions of restructuring how city council operates. The annual salary will be in the range of $80,000-$131,000.
The position would also oversee the clerk of council and the city auditor, which saw the hiring of John Rivalsky in March.
Clerk of Council Jerry Dendinger confirmed to WTOL 11 that council members interviewed the candidates over Zoom and plan to conduct in-person interviews on Aug. 29. WTOL has requested the names and resumes of all five candidates.
The Zoom interviews were conducted in executive session.
Council member Sam Melden, who represents District 5, said the candidates will likely be narrowed down for the next round of interviews.
He said the position is crucial to the success of city council and highlights the fact that many more employees outside of the elected members facilitate the day-to-day functions of the body.
"A lot of people think of city council and they think of the 12 members that are elected," Melden said. "But the truth is we have an entire staff on the 21st floor that need to be effective and work as a team, and just like any organization, they need to have solid leadership."
Council approved the creation of and search for the chief of staff position in May.