Traverse City commissioners eliminated one finalist for the position of city manager and voted to move three candidates forward to second-round interviews during a day-long interview process Saturday.

Former Grand Traverse County Administrator Dave Benda and former Zephyrhills City Manager James Drumm received the support of five commissioners to move ahead in the process, while Mason City Manager Martin Colburn received four affirmative votes. Fort Meyers Assistant City Manager Marvin Collins only received three votes, which was not enough to earn a second-round invitation.

Commissioners cited Collins' inexperience and vague replies to several of their interview questions as the reason for eliminating the candidate from the process. During Saturday's first-round interviews, commissioners asked 22 questions of each candidate during 75-minute sessions, touching on subjects ranging from municipal budgets and police department oversight to HR policy and public tax incentives.

While some commissioners questioned Benda's lack of experience with city government, he otherwise earned high marks for his responses. "I didn't see any bad answers out of Benda," said Mayor Michael Estes. "That was a huge plus for me." Agreed Commissioner Jeanine Easterday: "He has quite a bit of budget and financial background...it's nice to know there are people out there who can step into this job and know what's going on."

While Drumm did not initially impress commissioners, several board members said his interview got progressively better as it went on, eventually turning around their opinion. "I liked his ability to spin a narrative," said Commissioner Ross Richardson, citing the detailed examples Drumm provided in response to several questions. Drumm also earned praise for his enthusiasm and experience. The board was divided on Colburn, meanwhile, worrying about his lack of reference to public involvement as part of his management process and an absence of "creative thought" in response to questions, in Richardson's words. However, several commissioners said they liked Colburn's extensive background in city government. "He probably has a very effective management style," said Commissioner Gary Howe.

The three remaining finalists are tentatively scheduled to return on May 13 for one-on-one interviews with commissioners and a meet-and-greet with city department heads. The board will meet as a whole that evening in a public session to make a final hiring decision.