Helena Commission Narrows City Manager Field, Sets Interview Plan

The Helena City Commission moved into the next phase of two key personnel decisions this week, trimming a broad applicant field for city manager and setting procedural dates to replace a vacancy on the commission. Commission members narrowed 63 initial applicants to nine semifinalists and named three alternates, and said it will conduct Zoom interviews with the semifinalists while setting a timeline for the remainder of the process.

The narrowing of the candidate pool marks a substantive step toward selecting the city manager who will run day to day municipal operations, implement policy set by the commission, oversee city staff and manage the city budget. The commission's decision to use virtual interviews allows the process to proceed on a compressed schedule, and will shape how commissioners evaluate finalists before any public engagement or final appointments.

Concurrent with the city manager process, the commission addressed the vacancy created when Emily Dean was elected mayor. The commission plans to open applications for the vacant commission seat on Nov. 19, with first round interviews expected in mid December. That timeline sets the stage for a quick succession of personnel decisions that will affect governance and representation on the commission.

The Helena Independent Record reported the developments, and the story was listed in local news aggregation feeds with a publication date of Nov. 11, 2025. The reporting provides residents with the first public view of how the commission intends to move forward on both selections. For citizens who follow municipal governance, the decisions will have direct implications for policy priorities, municipal management and which voices are represented at the commission table.

The size of the initial applicant pool highlights strong interest in the city manager post from inside and potentially outside the region, and presents the commission with a range of administrative experience and policy approaches to consider. How commissioners evaluate semifinalists through virtual interviews will shape which candidates advance to public stages of the process, and how much opportunity residents will have to see finalists in person.

The commission has not yet released the names of the semifinalists or a firm schedule for final interviews and confirmations. Residents who are interested in the selection process or in applying for the vacant commission seat should watch official city communications for application details and meeting schedules as the commission sets its timeline. The forthcoming weeks will determine not only personnel choices but also how transparent and accessible the city will make those decisions to the public.