Hunt for County Manager May Be Narrowing : Government: Local leaders say consultant hired to find a new chief administrator has called a Simi official to discuss the post.

The search for a new county administrator, already narrowed to two finalists, seems to be focusing on Simi Valley City Manager Lin Koester, who has been talking with the county’s consultant about the job, officials said Thursday.

“We understand that the consultant has contacted Lin,” Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton said. “They’re talking.”

Koester, 53, was on his way back from a rail convention in Florida late Thursday and unavailable for comment.

But Stratton said council members were informed Wednesday that Norm Roberts, the Los Angeles consultant hired to search for a new chief administrative officer, had called Koester in Florida to discuss the city manager’s prospects for the job. But Koester, others said, wanted to wait until he returned to continue the discussion.

Roberts said he had no plans to meet with Koester today, but said, “It’s possible I might have a conversation with him on the phone.”

Roberts declined to comment further, except to say he was talking to “a couple of people” about the administrator’s job and that he expected that the Board of Supervisors would make a selection next week.

“I think Tuesday will be a key day,” Roberts said.

All five members of the board were at a meeting Thursday night and could not be reached for comment. They have consistently declined to discuss the hiring of a new county manager.

But Simi Valley officials said they believed that Koester was always a top candidate for the $123,000-a-year post, which has been vacant since January when veteran administrator Richard Wittenberg resigned to take a similar job in Santa Clara County.

Stratton said Koester, who has served as Simi Valley’s top manager since 1979, is well prepared to make the tough decisions necessary to tackle the county’s $38-million deficit.

“We felt all along that Lin has the credentials, he’s got the qualifications and he understands what needs to be done,” Stratton said. “If he gets the job, you’re going to see some massive changes in county government.

“He’ll be missed,” Stratton added. “But I believe we can suffer without him a little better knowing he would be going to the county.”

Simi Valley Councilwomen Barbara Williamson and Sandi Webb said Koester’s knowledge about budgets, his ability to work closely with people and his past experience as a county department manager gives him an edge over other candidates. Koester served as director of the county’s Resource Management Agency from 1971 to 1979.

“The minute he told me he was going to apply, I said, ‘It’s all over but for the singing,’ ” Williamson said. “I wish him well if this is what he wants to do.”

Webb said she was told that the county job had come down to two finalists, including Koester and a government administrator from Washington state.

“I always thought he had a good chance at it,” she said. “At this point it’s 50-50, it’s come down to two people. That’s a damn good shot at it. I support him if he wants to go for it. Lord knows, the county needs a good manager.”