Special Meeting, City Manager Candidate Interviews | August 19, 2026
Four names. One job. Tuesday’s entire meeting is built around finding Portage’s next City Manager, and the council is doing it live, in public, back-to-back.
Before the first handshake, council first locks down the interview format itself (Item B), the structure, the questions, the ground rules. Then the interviews run on a tight schedule, one every 70-ish minutes starting at 3:05.
🔦 The 3 items worth your attention
The interview slate is the whole show. Here’s who’s on it and when:
Aaron Mitchell goes first, at 3:05 (Item 3:05-1). Karen Dempsey-Horan follows at 4:15 (Item 4:15-1). Aaron Desentz is up at 5:45 (Item 5:45-1). Sarah Moyer-Cale closes the day at 7:00 (Item 7:00-1). All four are finalists, meaning they’ve already cleared earlier rounds, this is the council’s first chance to evaluate them face-to-face, and it’s open to the public.
After the interviews, council moves into deliberation (Item D). That conversation will shape what happens next, whether they move to a quick selection or extend the process. Who leads Portage’s day-to-day city government gets a lot closer to decided by the end of that session.
🏗️ Roads & property
Nothing on this agenda.
💰 Where the money’s going
No contracts or spending items on this agenda.
📌 Also notable
- Public comment is open during Item C, three minutes per speaker, and you can weigh in on anything, including, presumably, what you think the next city manager should prioritize.
Public comment starts at the meeting itself. Check the city’s website at cityofportage.org for the location, call-in options, and any written comment instructions before Tuesday.
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