Rincon City Council is about to start in earnest its search for the city’s next police chief.

The city received 31 resumes for police chief, and the window for submitting those ended Dec. 31. Mayor Ken Lee said he and the council have made the first pass through the list of applicants.

Lee also said he will be calling some of the candidates soon.

“That may narrow that list down even more,” he said.

Lee said prospective candidates may have questions about relocation or the salary for the position.

“Once we’ve done that, we’ll set up interviews,” he said.

Rincon has been without a police chief since Michael Berry was fired in September. Berry had been on the job less than six months after taking over for David Schofield, who had resigned. Berry appealed his termination, but council members turned down his appeal.

Included in the job requirements are previous experience as a chief, deputy chief or other similar command position along with a minimum of seven years of law enforcement supervisory experience. A bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, political science criminal justice or related field and/or experience also is required.

The next chief would be the fourth in five years for the Rincon Police Department.

The city has begun advertising for its next city manager after Donald Toms’ resignation became effective Jan. 9. The city is taking applications and resumes until March 30.

In its ad, the city is looking for a city manager with a minimum of five years of operational management experience and the ability to manage multiple departments and a minimum of 50 employees.

The annual salary range is $70,000 plus benefits and expenses, and it is negotiable with applicable experience.

Lee said the city has gotten a few resumes already.

“We haven’t started going through those yet,” he said.

City council approved a severance package of $18,750 for Toms. Toms asked for the package, Lee said. The mayor added council members were appreciative of what Toms had done for the city in his time as city manager.

Lee and city council are expected to delve into the city manager search after they complete the search for police chief.