By Rick Mann w/Plano Star

Unless the Plano City Council ventures off course, the next city manager should be introduced either today or Friday.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. tonight in a special called session to discuss and vote on arguably the most important hiring made for the city of Plano since Tom Muehlenbeck was hired 23 years ago. Now, his replacement must be chosen.

Muehlenbeck retired at the end of January.

After receiving an initial list of candidates from Affion Public, an executive search firm, the council has narrowed the list to Bruce Glasscock, Plano deputy city manager; Frank Turner, Plano deputy city manager; Jon Fortune, Denton assistant city manager and Ron Nichols, Las Vegas assistant city manager.

Mayor Phil Dyer said if the council wasn’t happy with the final four, it could elect to send Affion out for more candidates and start the process over again. A selection is expected to be made, however.

LaShon Ross is the acting city manager while the council makes its decision; she has filled in since Muehlenbeck stepped down on Jan. 31. Ross is deputy city manager with oversight responsibilities for the library system, the parks and recreation department and the human resources department, as well as the office of risk management.