AUBURN — The city will begin advertising later this week for an organized, energetic economic development specialist as the next city manager.

City councilors went over their wish list for the next manager at Monday’s workshop meeting. The council has contracted with the Maine Municipal Association and that group’s Human Resources Director Dave Barrett to lead the search.

Councilors said they wanted a manager comfortable working with multiple agencies who would be a good representative for Auburn residents and city staff, and an advocate for change who is able to plan for the long term.

“We don’t have the luxury of keeping the city of Auburn the way it is,” Councilor Robert Stone said. “I think it’s going to have to change. That’s just the world we live in now.”

Barrett said he would draft an employment advertisement Tuesday for councilors and Mayor Jonathan LaBonte to approve. The ad could go out to local, regional and national publications by Friday. He recommended that the council accept applications through Sept. 16.

Barrett said it is OK to be less specific in the advertisement, encouraging more people to apply. Councilors should spend more time working on their specific desires between now and when the resumes start coming in.

Mayor LaBonte said the city would schedule a public comment period on Sept. 12, encouraging residents to tell councilors what they want.

The new manager will replace Howard Kroll. Kroll tendered his resignation in July, saying he would stay in the job as long as the city required. City councilors set Sept. 9 as Kroll’s last day as manager.

Kroll did not have a new job lined up at the time of his resignation, but was hired by the town of Hermon as manager by the end of July.

Councilors promoted Kroll to replace Clinton Deschene temporarily in November 2014, making Kroll the permanent manager in August 2015. Kroll had served as assistant city manager up to the point.

Councilors selected his predecessor Deschene in May 2012 after a seven-month-long national search. Deschene had been manager of Hermon.

[email protected]