(UPDATED) Hopkins Selects St. Anthony Head as New City Manager

(Updated 9:37 a.m. July 18)

Hopkins has offered the vacant city manager position to St. Anthony City Manager Mike Mornson.

Mornson's appointment is not yet formalized, but council should officially appoint him at Tuesday’s council meeting, said Jim Genellie, Hopkins' acting city manager.

Hopkins’ city manager position has been vacant since Rick Getschow left in March to take the same job in Eden Prairie.

Council leaned toward Mornson during discussion at last week's council meeting, Genellie said. But some council members wanted more time to talk with others about the comparatively less-experienced second choice—Excelsior City Manager Kristi Luger.  

Mornson does bring substantial experience into the position. He has served as St. Anthony city manager since 1994, spent seven years as Big Lake city administrator before that and two years as city administrator of Carver and Young America.

Council decided last week that executive search firm Brimeyer Fursman would begin negotiating with Mornson if council members didn't indicate before Friday that they wanted to ask both candidates back for further interviews, Genellie said. 

In the end, council members didn't ask the candidates to return and the search firm started talks with Mornson.

The contract is still under discussion, and a start date has not yet been finalized. Genellie said he doesn't expect any of the remaining details to stop Mornson's hiring.

Patch will have more updates as they become available.