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Editor's note: This article was updated at 4:30 p.m. Thursday to reflect the Council will hold a special session Saturday to attempt to fill the City Manager post.

By Jorge Casuso

June 2, 2021 -- After nearly four hours in closed session, the City Council on Wednesday reported no action in the search for a new City Manager.

The Council will hold a special closed session meeting Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. to consider hiring a permanent City Manager.

According to the agenda posted Thursday afternoon, the Council could consider hiring an Interim City Manager "to address any timing contingencies."

As of Wednesday, the leading candidate in the nationwide search was Montebello City Manager Rene Bobadilla, according to sources close to the process.

After holding its lengthy closed session Wednesday night, the Council launched the process to replace Councilmember Kevin McKeown, who announced last Tuesday he would retire effective June 11.

The Council accepted McKeown's resignation and set a schedule to attempt to fill the vacant seat.

Applications will be accepted beginning this Thursday and close on June 22. The council voted to extend the period an extra week in an effort to expand the pool of applicants and avert the need for a special election.

An election -- which would be held if the Council does not make an appointment within 30 days of the vacancy -- would cost $528,000, said City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren.

The Council is scheduled to vote to fill the vacancy at a special meeting June 29.

Barring an appointment, the special Council election would coincide with the election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom in November.