Police chief picked as Mountain View’s interim city manager

With City Manager Dan Rich set to retire next month, Mountain View city leaders say it could be months before they have a permanent replacement hired and ready to take over at City Hall. In the meantime, they are appointing a temporary person for the job.

On Tuesday night, city officials announced that Police Chief Max Bosel will be taking over as interim city manager when Rich leaves next month. In a closed-door meeting Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to appoint Bosel to fill the city’s top position until a permanent hire has been made.

The process to find a new city manager is still in its early stages. City officials say the application process closed earlier this week, and elected leaders will be able to pick from a good field of candidates, including some current Mountain View employees.

Bosel, who has worked for the city for 24 years, was reportedly seen as a good choice for interim city manager because he is not a candidate for the permanent position, therefore his appointment would not give him any advantage in the hiring process. Additionally, he has already served similar roles in the past. On two prior occasions when there was turnover at City Hall, Bosel stepped in to serve as an assistant city manager on an interim basis, according to city officials.

The City Council is expected to begin interviewing qualified candidates for the city manager position starting next month. A final decision on a new hire is expected to come by February at the latest.