Borough Turns Toward Home for New Manager

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Despite casting a wide net to find a new Kodiak Island Borough manager, it appears the assembly only needed to look down the hall for a suitable candidate. At Thursday’s special meeting the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly held an executive session and returned to direct the borough clerk to begin negotiations with Bud Cassidy for the position.
After a six month, nationwide search, the manager’s job was offered to Erick Strahl of Michigan, in early October. After initially agreeing to take the job, he subsequently turned it down.
Cassidy has been the acting manager since June when Rick Gifford moved on. He has been the director of the borough’s Community Development Department, which provides planning zoning services to the borough and various commissions and committees.