Cary will seek Town Manager Bill Coleman’s successor but the Town Council has yet to decide how broadly to cast its net.

What the council has determined is that if an interim manager is needed it will be current Assistant Town Manager Ben Shivar. The actions came late during the council’s meeting Thursday.

Though the council united to quickly and repeatedly encourage Shivar to apply for the job, the body fractured on the extent of a search for Coleman’s replacement. Coleman, Cary’s town manager since 1994, announced his retirement effective Oct. 17.

“I am interested in the manager’s job,” Shivar said.

He also heard the council’s prodding. “I appreciated their confidence,” Shivar said.

However, it appears unlikely Shivar will be the only candidate for the job.

The council has a “fiduciary and leadership responsibility … to select the best person for the position” and that can not be achieved without vetting candidates, Erv Portman said.

Jennifer Robinson was willing to consider a search but wanted it limited to North Carolina candidates.

North Carolina candidates would already understand state law, one of the key qualities the council had already identified as necessary in the next manager.

“Narrowing our search will help us focus and be as efficient as possible,” Robinson said.

Gale Adcock said there are other states that have some of the same significant features of municipal law as North Carolina and candidates from those states should not be excluded.

“I would hate for us to narrow our possibilities,” Adcock said.

“I would encourage us to cast the widest net possible because our job is to find the best candidate.”

Don Frantz said he was opposed to searching for a candidate though he could agree to posting the job.

“I want this process over sooner than later,” Frantz said.

Frantz said he was concerned about the effect of a search on staff morale and that he could not back a national search.

Frantz made his support for Shivar, who has been assistant manager since 1995, clear.

“At the end of the day I think we have the best candidate here,” Frantz said.

Over Robinson’s and Frantz’s dissent, the council voted to “seek candidates in an open process.”

Details of possible processes, including methods and costs, have been requested before the council’s next meeting on Sept. 11.