Twelve people have submitted applications to the city to replace Shawano Police Chief Ed Whealon after he retires in two weeks.
Whealon will leave the job on April 4 after more than 34 years with the department and 12 years as chief.
Friday was the last day for those interested in the job to submit their names.
According to city officials, some of those who applied were upset Friday with a local radio station’s broadcast that named one of the applicants from within the department.
A city official who did not want to be quoted on the issue said some candidates were concerned about the appearance of bias because a radio station employee is a member of the Police and Fire Commission.
The city has not named any of the candidates.
“We don’t disclose those at this point,” City Administrator Brian Knapp said. “I didn’t hear the broadcast, but I heard about the uproar.”
Knapp, who was authorized by the commission to advertise the position and accept applications, said there was a good selection of candidates, some of them from within the department.
The rest are mostly from the southeast corner of the state, he said, “from here to Milwaukee and east of Madison.”
A subcommittee of the Police and Fire Commission will meet sometime next week to review the applications and narrow the applicants down to a list of finalists. The full commission will meet the week after to go over the short list and arrange interviews.
The new chief will be chosen by the commission, but the chief’s salary will be set by the Common Council.
Knapp said in a previous interview that the commission could choose to hire a new chief from within the department, but wanted to advertise the position to ensure a wide range of candidates.
“The Police and Fire Commission has in the last two recruitments opened it up to all applicants to ensure themselves and the community that they’re getting the best candidate,” he said.