BILLINGS — City officials have launched a city-managed search for three senior positions — police chief, fire chief and director of public works — marking a change from prior searches that relied on outside recruiters. Interim City Administrator Kevin Iffland said the city will handle advertising and candidate processing internally and has added staffing in the Human Resources office to support the work.
Why the change matters
The move away from an external recruiter is intended to give City Hall greater control over how candidates are recruited, screened and advanced in the process. City leaders say managing the search in-house will allow more direct oversight of outreach and a single point of coordination within the municipal government.
"[The city is] hiring an additional person in the HR department who will take on the task of advertising and processing both internal and external applicants."
The in-house approach comes as Billings prepares for a rare leadership turnover. Police Chief Rich St. John announced his retirement this summer, ending a two-decade tenure at the head of the department. Interim Fire Chief Matt Hoppel has served in that capacity for about a year following the retirement of former Chief Pepper Valdez, and the public works director role has been vacant since former Director Debi Mehling retired roughly six months ago.
Where each search stands
City officials reported progress on the three searches with varying timelines for completion. The public works director search is the most advanced; multiple candidates have already been interviewed and the city expects to make a hire soon. The police and fire chief searches are underway under the new internal process.
| Position | Status (as reported by city) |
|---|---|
| Director of Public Works | Several candidates interviewed; hire expected soon |
| Police Chief | Search launched following retirement announcement |
| Fire Chief | Interim chief in place; search ongoing |
Potential implications for city operations
Leadership transitions at the top of the police, fire and public works departments carry operational and strategic implications for Billings. Those departments oversee public safety, emergency response and infrastructure — areas central to everyday life and long-term planning in the city.
- Public safety continuity: A new police or fire chief can alter department priorities, training emphasis and community engagement strategies.
- Infrastructure oversight: The public works director shapes maintenance and capital projects that affect streets, drainage and municipal services.
- Recruitment model: Handling searches internally could change candidate pools, costs and the timeline for hiring senior managers.
City officials have not released a detailed timeline for the police and fire chief appointments beyond the information that the public works post is closest to being filled. The staffing addition in Human Resources is meant to manage both internal candidates and external applicants, streamlining advertising and application processing.
Interim administrators often juggle daily operations while overseeing transitions. With the city managing these searches directly, officials say they expect a more hands-on approach in vetting candidates and matching leadership choices to local priorities.
Residents and stakeholders who follow departmental leadership changes will likely see communications from the city about interview schedules, candidate forums or opportunities for public input as the processes move forward. For now, the most imminent change appears to be in public works, where interviews have already taken place and a hire is anticipated in the near term.
WE NEWS will continue to monitor the searches and report developments as the city names permanent leaders for these key departments.
