Six months after the former city manager announced he was leaving, Austin City Council on Thursday took its first major step toward hiring a permanent replacement.

Russell Reynolds, a private sector-focused search firm, was selected by a vote of 6-5, over two other choices: Ralph Andersen & Associates, a public sector-focused firm, and a public-private sector partnership between GovHR and Transearch.

Support for the three choices varied among the council members. Mayor Steve Adler instituted a “ranked choice” voting mechanism where the council members ranked support for the firms. After about 10-minutes of confusion and efforts to sway support, council members came to a simple majority decision to hire Russell Reynolds.

Russell Reynolds’s private sector focus and lack of experience in city manager recruitment drew concern from some council members. Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo said she wanted to hire a firm with “experience in what we are trying to do.”

District 4 Council Member Greg Casar said the work session interview with Russell Reynolds instilled in him a confidence that the firm would get the job done, even though Russell Reynolds has never conducted a search for a city manager. Casar said he felt the firm brought something different to the table, making Russell Reynolds a good match for a city and City Council that is trying to do things differently.

Although Russell Reynolds lacks experience in city manager searches, the firm has experience in Austin. Russell Reynolds were the firm that successfully recruited former Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo to his new job in Houston.

However, Russell Reynolds was the most expensive choice of the three, with a contract expense estimated to run around $122,800, according to city documents. The contract lasts for 12 months, but the recruitment process is to be complete within 120 days.

“Therefore, if the selection candidate leaves the position in the first 12 months, a new search will be conducted at no cost to the city,” city documents state. “All work related to the recruitment shall be completed within 120 days unless otherwise directed by the city.”