AUBURN - The candidates officials are talking about filling the city manager's shoes may be an arm's reach away.

City councilor David Dempsey suggested Corporation Counsel Thomas Leone to take the reins after City Manager John Salomone leaves for his new position as town manager for Newington, Conn.

Dempsey called an emergency meeting for 7 p.m. today at city hall so councilors could discuss the "employment history of a particular person or persons" behind closed doors.

Leone is running for Cayuga County Court judge seat on the Democratic and Independence party lines. Mayor Timothy Lattimore said he would favor an applicant with more time to devote to being interim manager.

"I had been approached informally from a couple of councilors but I didn't have the feeling that I had the consensus of council," said Leone. "If it was council's desire for me to be acting interim manager than I would do that."

He said if he were offered the position, he would continue his role as corporation counsel as well as city manager. He pointed to the fact that he did both jobs when Salomone was on medical leave.

The corporation counsel has some stipulations that would have to be met before he would accept. One goal would be to improve communication.

Another candidate in the running is Michael Long, the city's capital improvement program manager.

"Mike Long would be my choice. You can tell he's got his heart in the city," Lattimore said. "He would be a terrific choice to start and with him coming from within the system, he already knows the pitfalls and current abilities and disadvantages of the position."

Read the full report in Tuesday's edition of The Citizen.