By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LIBERTY TWP. - Trustees have whittled the applicant pool for a new township administrator from 49 candidates to six, including the acting township administrator.

Liberty leaders will begin interviews soon and hope to have someone in place by early June.

"Any one of the six would be good. They all have managerial experience," Trustee Bob Shelley said Tuesday.

"We may pare it down to three finalists and then call people back twice or maybe three times," Trustee David Kern added. "We are going to be very thorough about this. I'd rather get it right than rush it."

The finalists are:

• Acting Township Administrator Barry Tiffany, who was hired to be Liberty's zoning supervisor in December. He has been a code enforcement officer in West Chester Township.

• Bill Covell, the former assistant to Evendale's mayor and the city manager of Springboro from 1982 to 1993.

• Valerie D. Pullara Adams of West Chester Township, chief operating officer of Brighton Properties Inc. of Newport. She also has served as city manager of two cities, in Colorado and Missouri.

• Milford resident Michael Rahall, a former Reading safety services director. Rahall also is a finalist for the administrator's job in neighboring Fairfield Township, where a decision is expected this month.

• Thomas Maley, who is self-employed but served as Green Township's administrator from 1990 to 2001 and was the Hamilton County health commissioner from 1986 to 1988.

• H. Darrell Barger, the executive director of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID) from 1994 to 1998.

The TID expedited construction of the Michael A. Fox Highway, which opened in late 1999. Now, Liberty and Butler County leaders are pushing to expand the highway, which runs west from Interstate 75 to Hamilton, with an eastward interchange.

Shelley said he does not prefer one applicant over the other, Barger particularly appeals to him. Barger has vast experience with the TID and joint economic development districts (JEDDs).

Liberty is considering entering into JEDDs with Mason and/or Hamilton as a way to generate money for secondary road improvements near the interchange.

"Darrell could bring a lot to the township that would be beneficial in getting some of the road projects finished. That's his forte," Shelley said. "He is a doer. I don't know him too well personally, but I know his track record."

Former Liberty administrator Nell Kilpatrick resigned effective March 1. She is being paid until Aug. 31 to work part-time.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.