Coos Bay’s city manager is one of seven finalists who hope to manage the city of Walla Walla, Wash.

Chuck Freeman was in the Eastern Washington city this week for a public reception and interview. He had not shared his news with city employees as of this morning, but he let city councilors and the mayor know last week.

“It’s a decision my wife and I are making together,” Freeman said this morning. “I have mixed emotions on it.”

It hasn’t been a trouble-free summer. In early July, turbulence over Freeman and Mayor Jeff McKeown’s communication and management styles seeped into council discussion. The city manager, who has been on the job two years and two months, sent councilors a two-page memo. It said McKeown had accused him of manipulating council members in an effort to stop the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce from running the city’s visitor information center. At the time, McKeown said it was a communication problem.

“We’re working on making the relationship stronger,” McKeown said today.

He said he would like to see the council communicate better with all city employees, and the city wants to work with the League of Oregon Cities to have a facilitator come in to oversee talking.

Freeman didn’t discuss those issues, but said no one has asked him to leave the city.

“If and when I get a job, I’ll provide more information,” he said.

Walla Walla’s council met in a closed session this week to discuss candidates, said the city’s clerk, Kammy Hill. She said the council is not expected to announce a hiring choice until early September.

Coos Bay Councilor Stephanie Kramer said she’s terribly disappointed Freeman may leave.

“I think he’s moving the city forward,” she said.

She credited him with making progress on the Hollering Place project, improving city staff and starting the virtual incubator program.

“He just is a take-charge person and gets it done,” she said.

The job would put Freeman in charge of a city government serving more than 57,000 residents. He is the only finalist from outside Washington, though he managed the city of Airport Heights in that state before coming to Coos Bay.

The job pays between $105,00 to $142,500 annually. Freeman earns nearly $122,500 a year in Coos Bay.

McKeown said if Freeman quits, the city would advertise the job nationally.

“My expectation is that this is an environment in which lots of people are looking for work. That would accelerate the process if we do go down that road,” he said.