New Planning Director for Bel Air to be Selected Soon

The search for the town’s next planning director is expected to end within two weeks when one of five finalists is selected to succeed the .

“We interviewed five people and the interview committee is working on prioritizing and making a selection,” Town Administrator Chris Schlehr said. “We said we’d have it within two-and-a-half weeks and that was as of last week.”

Interim director of planning, Bob Syphard, is believed to be among the finalists.

“He’s a strong candidate,” Schlehr said. “There’s other strong candidates, too.”

Schlehr declined to name any of the other candidates, but said they have diverse backgrounds.

“They’re all varied paths, varied backgrounds,” he said, adding that their experience ranges from “private sector to [Maryland] state government.”

The position has been vacant since Deibel stepped down Dec. 30 after 26 years as a town employee.

The town received 18 applications for the position, which paid Deibel $98,971 a year before she stepped down. Schlehr said her replacement stands to make between $65,000 to $83,000, based on the salary range advertised for the position.

He added that the town has not given any thought to eliminating Syphard’s current position as senior planner if he is selected as the next director. That, however, is exactly what Commissioner Terence Hanley suggests.

"I think we can promote from within, move up Bob Syphard and save the taxpayers. It saves a lot of salaries, a lot of benefits,” . "I don't think we need any more growth in the planning department. The town of Bel Air's pretty much built out.”

The town is .

Syphard, who has been a town employee for 20 years, makes $75,808 as senior planner.

Said Schlehr: “We’ll come up with the right candidate.”