Portland’s interim city manager, Danielle West, is expected to be appointed to the permanent position at a City Council meeting on Monday.

West was chosen following a national search that resulted in three finalists including John Curp, former interim city manager of Cincinnati and Alex McIntyre, interim city manager in San Bruno, California.

If approved Monday, West will assume the position immediately as part of a three-year employment contract with an annual base salary of $210,000. She will be the first woman to serve as city manager in Portland.

“I’m grateful and encouraged that Danielle has accepted our offer to take on the permanent role of city manager,” Mayor Kate Snyder, who has served as chair of the council’s City Manager Search Subcommittee since the fall of 2021, said in a statement Wednesday.

“Danielle has served the city extremely well during this longer than expected transition period. Her expertise and institutional knowledge helped provide city employees with effective leadership and helped the council tackle a wide range of critical issues and challenges. I look forward to continuing to work with her.”

West has almost 20 years of experience advising and working for Maine municipalities. She took over as interim city manager in November 2021 when former City Manager Jon Jennings left for a similar job in Clearwater, Florida.

She has worked for the city for 15 years and served as corporation counsel prior to being named interim manager.

“I’m honored to receive the mayor and council’s nomination and I appreciate the continued support they’ve shown in me with this decision,” West said in a statement. “I’ve emphasized a commitment to communication, transparency, and relationship building during my time as interim and I look forward to continuing with those commitments.

“I’m also excited to continue to work with our amazing city staff in carrying out the delivery of exceptional municipal services and operational work, while at the same time helping the council achieve its policy goals.”

In response to a request for an interview, city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said West did not want to comment further ahead of Monday’s council vote.

West’s confirmation Monday would bring an end to an 18-month period of interim leadership. The search for a new city manager was delayed for months as the city awaited the outcome of a proposal from the Portland Charter Commission that would have drastically changed the jobs of the city manager and mayor. The commission’s proposal was rejected by about 65% of voters in November.

City councilors and Snyder have said that having a permanent city manager will hopefully bring stability and help the city fill a large number of staff vacancies. There are currently about 250 open jobs out of 1,400.

“With Danielle, we know her vision and her mission,” City Councilor Regina Phillips said. “She doesn’t have to take time to get to know the staff. She can come right out of the gate (and work on) things that need to happen immediately. One of those things is making sure we have permanent directors and department heads.”

Phillips said she is looking forward to an upcoming workshop West and the city’s new director of justice, diversity, equity and inclusion are holding about the response to an April 1 neo-Nazi rally downtown. She said it’s one example of the work West started that she will now be able to continue.

“She’s been really open to hearing my suggestions,” Phillips said. “She meets with me and always keeps me in the loop. She’s a good communicator and I’m looking forward to that relationship continuing.”

Councilor Andrew Zarro also supports West’s appointment, saying the two have a strong working relationship, that she is committed to city services and staff, and that her expertise in municipal law has been invaluable.

“With the challenges facing Portland today, it is crucial that we have stability and continuity in our leadership,” Zarro said in an email. “Danielle’s confirmation will provide us with the stability we need as we navigate the complex issues facing our city.”

“She’s given us 18 months of an interview,” Councilor Mark Dion said in an interview Wednesday. “Whereas other candidates could talk hypothetically about what they could have done, we’ve watched her address challenges like the pandemic, asylees and homelessness. We saw her philosophy play out, and I think that was to her advantage.”

Dion appreciates the behind-the-scenes work West has done as an interim manager to build relationships in the community – something he said that would have been easy for an interim to dismiss. “That’s the kind of leader I want,” he said. “They do the background work where no one is applauding, but it’s essential.”

The city contracted with the consulting firm Baker Tilly on the search for $26,000, though Grondin said she wasn’t able to confirm Wednesday whether that ended up being the final cost. The process drew 77 applicants.

The manager is the top non-elected position in Portland city government, reporting to the City Council and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city. The manager prepares and presents the annual budget and capital improvement plans, appoints department heads and implements the council’s policy decisions.

West currently earns $186,511. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Oswego State University in New York and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law and lives in Portland’s Oakdale neighborhood with her two children.

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