The field of candidates to become the community’s next city manager is down to three, after city commissioners met in a closed-door meeting Saturday for nearly 11 hours.

The finalists: Lawrence’s interim City Manager David Corliss; R. Leon Churchill Jr., managing director for the city of Reading, Pa.; and Dennis Taylor, city manager of Eugene, Ore.

Mayor Mike Amyx said Saturday evening that all three candidates would undergo a second round of interviews today. Amyx said the commission hoped to offer one of the men the job in early October.

“I think we have a very good group of finalists,” Amyx said. “We’re very fortunate in this community to have individuals who are really seeking out this position.”

All three finalists have experience in serving as the top executive of a community but bring a mix of other qualities. Corliss, when reached by phone at a Kansas University football game on Saturday evening, said he would tout his knowledge of Lawrence.

“I’ve worked with the city for 16 years now,” said Corliss, who joined the city in 1990 as a management analyst and became assistant city manager under former City Manager Mike Wildgen in 2000. “I know our issues and our neighborhoods and our long-term concerns. I have the dedication to see us through a number of major projects.”

Attempts to reach Churchill and Taylor were unsuccessful on Saturday evening. Amyx did not release the resumes of any of the finalists.

But it is known that Churchill has ties to Lawrence. Churchill is a 1987 graduate of KU’s Department of Public Administration, according to the department’s Web site. The Web site also said that Churchill has previously served as the town manager for Windsor, Conn. He became Reading’s managing director – the city’s top executive post – in April 2004.

Churchill also has been in the news recently. According to a Sept. 15 report in the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, Churchill is a finalist for Dayton’s city manager position. The Sept. 15 article said he was scheduled to interview for the job last weekend. Information on whether Churchill is still in the running for the Dayton position wasn’t available Saturday evening.

Taylor, according to various Web sites promoting Eugene, has been the city’s manager since 2002. Taylor has one of the major qualifications that city commissioners had previously said they were looking for: experience in a major university community. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon and its approximately 20,000 students.

The city also has gained notoriety as an environmentally sensitive community. Earlier this year, Eugene was named the top U.S. Green City by GreenerBuildings.com, a Web site that promotes environmentally friendly building practices.

Reading, Pa., is not considered a major university community, although it is home to three smaller colleges. Instead, Reading touts itself as a significant tourist destination for the Northeast. The city’s convention and visitors bureau Web site claims that 9.5 million visitors per year come to the community to take advantage of numerous antique shops, outlet malls and historic sites.

Eugene and Reading also are different when it comes to growth. According to data from the Census Bureau, Eugene is experiencing strong population growth while Reading is losing population. In 2005, Eugene had a population of 144,515, up 4.8 percent from 2000. Reading had a 2005 population of 80,855, down from 81,207 in 2000.

City commissioners are seeking a new city manager after Wildgen – who had held the post for 16 years – resigned in March. A majority of city commissioners had expressed concerns about Wildgen’s efforts to plan for growth and maintain infrastructure.