Police Chief finalists bow out of search
Just a few days before they were supposed to come to Montgomery for interviews, the two finalists for Police Chief changed their minds.
In an email to the Messenger on Friday, Sept. 22, City Administrator Brian Heck said another job and salary were factors in the decision.
“I want to inform you that I have received information from our finalists that both have decided to remove themselves from consideration,” he said. "One candidate accepted employment with another community and the other made the decision based on salary considerations.”
The candidates were Tracy Speight, an officer for the Colorado Springs Police Department, and Matthew Struck, a patrol sergeant for the City of Hopkins.
The City of Montgomery announced its two finalists for police chief at a city council meeting on Monday, Sept. 18. Heck told the council the first set of interviews were held on Friday, Sept. 8 and the panel narrowed the field to two candidates for council consideration. The candidates were to be interviewed by the city council at an open meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Heck said he is working on the next steps in the process, including holding a special council meeting to authorize reopening the search.
He added that it is also a possibility the city’s initial interview committee might reconsider the other seven candidates who weren’t chosen for a finalist position.
