PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The Port Arthur City Council made a local pick Wednesday afternoon in announcing the new manager for the city.
The current interim city manager, Ron Burton, was announced as the next full-time city manager for the City of Port Arthur just before 3 p.m.
The announcement came after the council met in executive session to make their final decision.
Burton, the only local candidate, has been with the City of Port Arthur since 2008 and was named interim city manager in August 2019.
“I’ve been employed by this city for the 11 plus years, I came here looked at this city and saw not blight but opportunity,” Burton said.
The three candidates left in the running were interviewed in an open session before the council Wednesday morning.
Each council member along with the mayor got five minutes to interview the three finalists.
A Dallas area firm conducted a nationwide search for the candidates which have been narrowed down to finalists Terrence Arrington, Ron Burton and Scott Moore.
The finalists answered questions about their experience, their integrity, and how they’d handle certain situations.
Arrington was previously the town manager in Spencer, North Carolina, from October 2018 through May 2019. He resigned six months into a 3-year contract.\
“It’s really a pivotal time for port Arthur where we can really put our heads together and really talk about the future and what we want to accomplish,” Arrington said.
Moore has been the city administrator in Ellsworth, Kansas, since September 2015.
He also held the position from June 1997 through August 2005 according to his resume.
“You’ve been without for two years but i think it’d be somebody who wants to come in and work with you and the way I see things it would be great to be able to lend something fresh,” Moore said.
MORE | Terence Arrington's Resume
MORE | Ron Burton's Resume
MORE | Scott Moore's Resume
Each candidate also got two minutes to speak before the council which is expected to make a final decision sometime Wednesday.
