Lancaster Council Gives Its Pick for New City Manager 1 More Day to Accept Offer

The Lancaster City Council, which last week gave its top candidate for the city manager’s job until Wednesday to say whether he would accept, extended the deadline to today after a last-minute talk with their choice, reportedly a former Simi Valley official.

Lancaster Mayor William Pursley refused to name the candidate, but city government sources identified him as Reno City Manager Harold Schilling, a former assistant city manager in Simi Valley.

“I feel very comfortable he will be our city manager,” said Pursley, after the council members made a formal contract offer to the candidate by telephone.

They said they expected to announce his reply today.

Schilling has 16 years experience as a city manager, including 4 1/2 years in Reno, and stints in Aspen, Colo., Chandler, Ariz., and Milwaukie, Ore. He served as an assistant and deputy city manager in Simi Valley from 1970 through early 1974.

Council members had publicly complained that former City Manager Steve West, who was pressured by the council to resign in September after nearly two years in office, was too timid. Pursley said he looked for a strong leader “who’s been down the road, who’s not going to be easily swayed by any council member.”

The council last Thursday settled on a Wednesday deadline for its top candidate to make a decision, but the mayor said the candidate asked Wednesday for another day to consider.

Pursley said the council offered an open-ended contract with an annual salary higher than the $91,944 the city had been paying West, who received severance pay of $67,860.