Helena Names Three Finalists for City Manager, Public Interviews Scheduled
The Helena City Commission announced three finalists to replace retiring City Manager Tim Burton, setting public interviews and town halls for December 8 and 9. The selection follows a contentious recruitment that included a lawsuit alleging open meeting law violations, making transparency and public participation central to the final deliberation on December 10.
The Helena City Commission on December 1 named Janet Hawkinson, Douglas Schulze, and Alana Lake as the three finalists to succeed City Manager Tim Burton, who announced his retirement in September. Commissioners scheduled public interviews and town hall meetings to allow residents direct access to the candidates before the commission holds final deliberations on December 10.
Public interviews will begin on Monday, December 8, at the City County Building at 316 N. Park Avenue. Douglas Schulze will be interviewed from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by Janet Hawkinson from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. That evening the public may question the two out of town finalists at town hall meetings on the second floor of the Montana Club, with Schulze from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Hawkinson from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, December 9, the commission will interview Alana Lake from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and her town hall will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the commission chambers at the City County Building. The city has provided online meeting links for each interview and town hall through the city Zoom hub.
The finalists bring varied experience. Hawkinson has led Palisade, Colorado as town manager since 2018 and previously worked in community development. Schulze has more than 36 years of municipal leadership and has managed city governments in Minnesota and Washington as well as most recently serving as city manager in Banning, California, where he was placed on indefinite paid leave last February. Lake became executive director of the Montana Public Service Commission this past March and has a background in military and federal law enforcement, including work with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
The recruitment has been marked by turbulence, including a lawsuit alleging a commission subcommittee violated Montana open meeting laws. That litigation remains active and was raised in recent filings, making the upcoming public interviews and town halls important moments for transparency. For residents, the choice of city manager will influence local administration, budget priorities, and service delivery. The commission’s December 10 deliberation will conclude the process and determine who will guide Helena through the next chapter of municipal governance.
