Following the departure of Susan Law, the process has started to find a permanent replacement.

While a interim general manager, John Rayner, will arrive at the end of the month, a meeting will take place where 30 members of the community will be involved in the recruitment process.

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Interim Administrator Viv May said the manager of Local Government NSW, Mark Anderson, had been engaged to assist in the process.

Mr May said members of the community will have the opportunity to meet with Mr Anderson to have an informal discussion on what they would expect from the next general manager from a community lead perspective.

"I will chair the meeting and it will not be open to former or suspended councilors to attend as I am looking for a fresh start. The focus will be on the future and we will not be dwelling on the past."

Mr Anderson said part of the role of a council general manager is to ensure there is a strong level of community engagement so that the community is kept informed of current priorities and issues in the Local Government Area.

This includes effective consultation when input submissions are sought on council decisions. A

He said a disengaged community is not conducive to strong community strategic planning.

"This is an opportunity for residents to share thoughts so that the selection committee has a strong insight into those key attributes to use in the selection process.

"It will allow the selection committee to structure interview questions and use psychometric profiling to inform part of the decision making on the preferred candidate for the GM position in addition to the essential skills and experience required for the role."

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 18 from 6.30pm-8.00pm at a location in Armidale to be confirmed.

Places are limited to 30 people and residents wishing to participate can register their interest at yoursay.armidale.nsw.gov.au/gmrecruitment.

Registrations close 5pm, Thursday, August 13.