TOWER— One of two finalists for the city clerk-treasurer position here the last time around is, once again, seeking the position, and this time he has more experience in city of Tower governance. The city’s hiring committee is set to interview Michael Schultz, a Tower resident, on Sept. 9.
Current clerk-treasurer Victoria Ranua narrowly edged Schultz for the job back in 2019, but Ranua announced her intention on June 1 to leave the clerk-treasurer job as soon as a replacement could be found. The city has made little progress in the search for a new clerk-treasurer since then.
While the city received a handful of applications, only four were deemed qualified and only one candidate has come for an interview to date. One of the candidates withdrew from consideration the day of her interview.
Schultz would seem to be an even stronger candidate for the position this time than he was two years ago. Since interviewing for the job in 2019, Schultz has taken on two volunteer, yet high profile, city positions. He has served for almost two years as treasurer of the Tower Economic Development Authority and has served for the past year on the Planning and Zoning Commission, which he now chairs.
Schultz continues to be employed by the Department of Revenue in Ely, where he has handled tax collections since 2018. He was previously employed as a developmental training manager by National Recoveries, Inc, in Arden Hills, which was also involved with collections. Originally from Virginia, Schultz received an Associate Degree from Mesabi Range and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. John’s University in Collegeville.
The city’s hiring committee has also interviewed Melissa Bauer, originally of Cook, now of Tempe, Ariz., who currently serves as procurement manager for the Town of Queen Creek, a post she’s held since 2018. Her resumé lists six different government positions she’s held between 2006 and 2021, ranging from six months as grant contract administrator for the Maricopa County Human Services Department to four and a half years as contract branch supervisor for the Maricopa County Flood Control District.
Her resumé does not list a degree, although it shows she studied social work at Winona State University in the early 1990s. She has earned certificates of completion in topics such as project management, risk management, and contract administration.
The earliest the city council is likely to make a hiring decision would be at their regular meeting on Sept. 13. Ranua has indicated she is willing to stay on as long as needed to train in her eventual replacement.