With Aberdeen’s 2019 budget almost finalized, it appears the city will go at least four more months without hiring a city administrator.

At a workshop for the city’s 2019 budget last week, Aberdeen City Council President Tawni Andrews said the city decided to push back the hiring date for a city administrator until April 1 at the earliest. By not budgeting a full year for the city administrator, it saves the city $27,000, Andrews said.

Currently, no one is being considered for the job. The position would be new to the city, which began advertising for a candidate last spring. Mayor Erik Larson said part of the problem is that candidates have turned down Aberdeen to take similar jobs in other cities that pay better. Aberdeen allocated nine months of pay for a city administrator in the 2018, which came out to about $82,000 including benefits that went unused.

In the 2019 proposed budget, the city administrator and a number of other senior city staff positions are slated for salary increases, which Larson hopes will help with recruitment and retention.

At Wednesday night’s meeting, the council will have a third and final reading of the annual budget, and look to pass it. The meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday on the third floor of Aberdeen City Hall.

Aside from the raises to senior staff positions, there are also a few projects listed in the proposed budget that are expected to get underway in 2019:

– $515,670 from the state Department of Transportation to add sidewalks, bike lanes and other improvements to South Boone Street from the entrance to Grays Harbor College to West Harriman Street.

– Three new firefighter emergency medical technicians in the Aberdeen Fire Department. The city originally budgeted $304,980 for the three positions (salaries and benefits), but the hiring date for all three was pushed back to March 1 at the earliest, which saved the city about $76,000, Andrews said.

– The Aberdeen Parks Department received a $90,000 check from a trust, which Parks Director Stacie Barnum would be used to replace some playground equipment in Garley and Finch parks. Barnum said the department also wants to add a dog park to Garley Park.