Warren City Council has agreed to enter into negotiations with a candidate for the open city manager position.

But the decision to move ahead that council took on Monday was not unanimous.

Mayor Dave Wortman asked for the search committee to receive council approval to enter into negotiations with a candidate that was not named during Monday’s meeting.

The committee is comprised of Wortman, Councilwoman Wendy McCain and Councilman Maurice Cashman.

McCain raised a process objection. “So this recommendation does not follow the protocol for city manager recruitment,” she said.

She explained the city established a process through the state Department of Community and Economic Development in the search effort and “followed a strict process to select and interview candidates.”

Through that process, three candidates were interviewed, according to McCain. Council voted to proceed with negotiations of one of them.”

Mayor Dave Wortman confirmed that those negotiations did not result in an agreement, which he called the right decision for the city.

McCain said the individual recommended for negotiation on Monday “never applied for the position of city manager” and suggested that it would “behoove us to follow the protocol to ensure this is a good fit.”

She proposed starting the process back at the beginning and re-engaging a search firm.

Mayor Wortman said the committee’s recommendation Monday is “absolutely and unequivocally the right person to lead the city at this point in time. That is why that person is being presented.”

“I believe that the candidate that the search committee has brought to the rest of council … would be an excellent person to lead our city,” Councilman John Wortman said.

Councilwoman Danielle Flasher added that the individual has the “same best interest as us as a council” and is the “best fit to see us through our ongoing projects.”

McCain reiterated her concerns are not “about the candidate not being a good candidate.

“I don’t see what it would hurt to open up the application process,” she said. “To just bypass the process that we’ve been following just doesn’t seem fair to other people that might be interested.”

A motion to authorize the committee to negotiate was approved 5-1 with McCain voting in opposition.