AUBURN — City councilors could entertain the idea of sharing a top manager with Lewiston, they said Thursday.

“I think it’s a conversation we should have in earnest, because a lot of people are asking for it,” said Ward 3 Councilor Mary LaFontaine. “People have approached me and said they think it’s a good idea. Whether it actually is a good idea or if we decide it’s not the right time or whatever, we need to do it right and have the discussion and not worry about going too fast.”

Councilors met in a special workshop Thursday to discuss the process for hiring a new city manager.

Interim Manager Don Gerrish, a consultant from Eaton Peabody working for the city during the hiring process and transition, said councilors are looking at a several-months-long process.

Gerrish and Dick Metivier, another Eaton Peabody specialist, outlined questions councilors ought to discuss at the beginning of the search. They include job requirements, education and candidate background but also questions about the process and whether councilors want to make the decisions themselves or involve residents and staff in interviewing candidates.

Councilors said they were clear that they want to involve Auburn residents in the hiring process, and the earlier the better. Ward 1 Councilor Tizz Crowley said she hoped to schedule a special public input session in the next 10 days, and her colleagues agreed.

But Crowley said the council also must decide whether it wants to approach Lewiston colleagues about sharing the top manager.

“I’m only raising the question now so we are not battling it at the end,” Crowley said.

Ward 2 Councilor Bob Hayes agreed, and At-large Councilor Joshua Shea said the council had to settle the matter.

Not everyone agreed, however. Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said it’s the wrong time to consider sharing a city manager with Lewiston.

“We don’t have an assistant manager and we are in a very different place,” LaBonte said. “Staff needs some consistency and we need to have someone we can engage with policy conversations.”

Councilors Belinda Gerry, David Young and Leroy Walker also said they were against sharing a manager.

“We don’t allow city councilors to serve in the Legislature or even in county offices,” Young said. “Why would we even consider sharing a manager?”

Councilors are scheduled to continue discussing the hiring process at their workshop meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 9. Gerrish said the city could hire a new manager by May if the council begin advertising for the position in February.

The previous City Council voted to terminate City Manager Glenn Aho’s contract in October. They voted in November to hire consultants Eaton Peabody to lead the search for Aho’s replacement and to manage the city in the meantime.

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