93 people want to be the Sault's next CAO

Ninety-three applications have been received for Al Horsman's job.

Members of the city's chief administrative officer selection committee received the applications one week ago, and met this afternoon behind closed doors to conduct an initial screening of applicants.

Among other things, they wanted to determine whether the applicants were of sufficient quality to proceed without an executive recruiter.

Mayor Christian Provenzano, who chaired today's meeting, said the 93 applicants were pared down to a proposed shortlist of about a half-dozen candidates.

The proposed list will be submitted to the city's human resources department for evaluation, the mayor said.

One of just two CAOs in Sault Ste. Marie over the past 24 years, Horsman served notice in February that he'll  step down when his four-year contract with the city expires Sept. 28.

Joe Fratesi held the post from 1995 to 2014.

The city hired a headhunter to find Fratesi's successor.

At the request of Mayor Provenzano, the CAO selection committee agreed this time to initially forgo an executive recruiter as a cost-cutting measure.

After today's meeting, the mayor told SooToday that the committee was quite pleased with the quality of the 93 applicants and no need for head-hunting assistance is anticipated.