The search for a new Lawrence city manager likely will take about a month longer than city commissioners had planned.

Commissioner Sue Hack said commissioners now believe they won’t be in a position to hire the city’s top executive until late September. Commissioners had hoped to have the position filled by late August.

“I think our recruiter has basically told us that our original timeline was too aggressive,” Hack said.

Frank Reeb – who as the city clerk and director of administrative services is helping with the logistics of the search – said the late August deadline hadn’t been officially scrapped but was looking doubtful.

“We’re still going to try for that, but as each day goes by, it becomes more and more unlikely,” Reeb said.

Hack said the recruiting firm of Bennett Yarger Associates has now talked individually to each city commissioner about the position, and is working on preparing a job description that can be used in advertisements. National advertising likely would begin in July with some interviews beginning in late August or September.