Brian Muenger

This week, Brian Muenger emerged as the Pell City’s top choice for city manager. And shortly after, Muenger said he was ready to make the transition.

During the Pell City City Council meeting on Feb. 9, members unanimously selected Muenger to fill the vacant city manager position, approving City Attorney Jon Rea to begin contract negotiations. In response to the news, Muenger said he was excited.

 “I hope to finalize the details of my employment agreement quickly so that I can begin the transition process,” Muenger said in an email.

Council members said their decision to offer Muenger the job was based on key qualities they were looking for heading into the interview process. Specifically, members wanted someone who could perform the role’s necessary finctions without needing significant time to get acquainted to either the area or the process. Muenger, being local and currently employed as Talladega city manager, fit both.

“You heard more than once during this process that we wanted somebody who could hit the ground running,” Pell City Mayor Joe Funderburg said. “We can’t have a learning curve, and there isn’t a lot of training time. There’s too much on the plate right now.”

Muenger’s current role includes the oversight of a $17 million budget and more than 200 full-time employees. He has been with Talladega since 2008 when he was first hired as assistant city manager. He is currently a Talladega resident and holds a master’s in Public Administration from Georgia College & State University, which he received in 2007.

Prior to his interview, Muenger said he felt his background and training offered “a combination of hands-on planning and management experience that would lend itself strongly to the position.”

That message was delivered to the Council during the interview process. Members Dot Wood and Jay Jenkins both said Muenger was their pick, first and foremost, because he knows Alabama law.

“We had great candidates. I was very impressed with all of them,” Wood said. “But [Muenger] knows Alabama law, and most of the others would have to study and catch up a little.”

“He already knows the ins and outs of that job in this state,” Jenkins said. “Not only that, he’s right here in the area and he already knows Pell City. I think it’s a really good fit.”

In addition, Muenger also told Council members he was a proponent of Pell City’s development potential. Prior to his interview, he said he believed his professional career could easily grow alongside the city.

“The future of Pell City is very bright, and I look forward to helping the City recognize its developmental potential,” he said.

“We had great candidates. I was very impressed with all of them. But [Muenger] knows Alabama law, and most of the others would have to study and catch up a little.”