NEW CASTLE Business manager steps down

City council will be included in the search for a new administrator.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The search for a city business administrator begins again.
Raymond Kolodziej, Mayor-elect Wayne Alexander's choice for the job, has stepped down from the position before even starting.
Brian Welsh, who headed up Alexander's search committee for a new business administrator, said Kolodziej, who is an accountant, had salary and benefits differences with Alexander. Welsh would not disclose those differences.
The current business administrator, John DiMuccio, ends his work in January. Alexander did not ask him to return.
Welsh added that Kolodziej was unsuccessful in selling his private CPA practice or in having some of his clients go to other associates, and that factored into his decision to not take the job.
Kolodziej could not be reached to comment.
Welsh said they expect to start advertising again for a new business administrator, likely in some professional trade publications. The search committee received 41 applicants from advertisements placed in local newspapers and interviewed five before picking Kolodziej.
Selection process
Welsh said they also plan to change the selection process after getting some criticism from the newly elected city council members.
Council members said Tuesday night they were upset that they were left out of the process. Welsh said they will now be included.
"I made a rookie mistake," Welsh said. "We need to include council [in the future]."
No date has been set for beginning the search.