Few Fort Smith city administrator applicants have top municipal admin experience

A review of applications for the open Fort Smith city administrator job shows that 38 people applied online between Sept. 2 and Oct. 6, with only seven of the applicants – including the mayor of Clarksville, Ark. – having city manager experience.

The applicant information was obtained through an Arkansas Freedom of Information request.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Aug. 19 voted to have the city’s human resources department post the administrator job on the city’s website on Sept. 2, and keep the posting up for 45 days, which would set the application deadline at Oct. 16.

That action came more than 8 months after the board fired Carl Geffken as city administrator in December 2024. Geffken was hired to be the Fort Smith city administrator in March 2016 with a salary of $175,000. His annual salary when he was fired was $204,513. Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman was named acting city administrator following Geffken’s dismissal and continues in that role. Dingman, who was on the short list of candidates when Geffken was hired in 2016, has again applied for the job.

Vice Mayor and Director Jarred Rego said in August that the goal in using the city’s HR department was to avoid the expense of using a national search firm. Search firm fees for the city administrator could range between $50,000 and $70,000.

In addition to Dingman, following are the applicants with city manager experience.
• Emmanuel Adediran
city manager, College Park, Ga., population around 14,000

• Matthew Harline
former manager, Villa Park, Ill., population around 22,000

• Theogene Melancon
former city manager, city of Dickinson, Texas, population around 22,000

• Mayor David Rieder Jr.
Clarksville (Ark.) mayor, population around 10,000

• Scot Rigby
former city manager, city of Edmond, Okla,, population around 99,000

• Kelsey Young
city manager, Pinole, Calif., population around 19,000

“I typically do not provide opinions on applicants or applicant pools,” Eric Garvin, newly named director of human resources, noted in a statement when asked about the number of applicants with relevant experience. “We have advertised the City Administrator posting on the City’s website and social media channels, along with a couple of other recruitment sources (ICMA, Arkansas Municipal League, etc.), and I feel like we have received a good number of qualified applications through this process.”

Garvin said search firms “can provide a more narrowed field of highly qualified applicants compared to a general search; however, each recruitment is unique and has its own individual challenges and opportunities.”

Josh Buchfink, public relations manager for the city of Fort Smith, said board members also are receiving applications, and it will be up to the board to determine how the search process is managed.

“I do know the Board has also been receiving applications as they’ve come in – they may have thoughts, too,” he noted. “Ultimately, it will be their decision to continue the search or go with one of these applicants.”