There are plenty of reasons to not be surprised if David Corliss, as expected, is named Lawrence’s next city manager.

Even comments and actions of the other two finalists suggested Corliss would be the choice Mayor Mike Amyx announces this morning.

Dennis Taylor, city manager of Eugene, Ore., told his hometown newspaper in a story published Tuesday he expected Corliss would get the job. He also said he was disappointed Lawrence city commissioners made public that Taylor was a finalist.

It is unlikely Lawrence city commissioners would not have seen Taylor’s comments before they went into executive session Tuesday evening to discuss the city manager search.

And it was Wednesday that signs began surfacing that commissioners had made their choice.

The other finalist – R. Leon Churchill Jr., the managing director of Reading, Pa. – has been described as a rising star in the field. But that also puts him in high demand. He’s one of four finalists for the city manager’s job in Dayton, Ohio, a city of about 160,000. Churchill confirmed he had not dropped out of the Dayton race to pursue the Lawrence opening.

The Dayton Daily news reported Thursday that Dayton officials were traveling to Reading next week for a second interview with Churchill.

Offering the job to Churchill before his Dayton possibility was ruled out was unlikely for Lawrence commissioners because they faced the possibility he would turn them down for a job in the bigger city.

Commissioners also had one less prime candidate to consider after David Watkins accepted the city manager job in Bryan, Texas.

Watkins was considered a front-runner because next to Lawrence’s interim City Manager David Corliss he was most knowledgeable of the area. Watkins served about 20 years as city manager of nearby Lenexa. He also has experience leading a major university community: Auburn, Ala.

Watkins also had strong Lawrence ties. He’s a graduate of Kansas University and has a daughter who lives in town.

Watkins confirmed he was a finalist but dropped out of the running last week to take the Texas job.

The only other known candidate was Gary Shimun, an assistant city manager in Pembroke Pines, Fla., the 51st best small city in the country, according to the 2006 Money Magazine rankings. But Shimun didn’t have much experience managing a major university community. He also may have hurt his chances by revealing to a Florida newspaper that he was a candidate while Lawrence city commissioners were still hoping to keep the names of the finalists under wraps.