Updated: Rashad Young in Line to Be New City Manager

11:45 a.m. Thursday update — According to reports, the Alexandria City Council is expected to make a decision about hiring Greensboro, N.C. City Manager Rashad Young as Alexandria's new manager later this month.

In Thursday's Greensboro (N.C.) News and Record, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said a decision could come as early as Saturday. The City Council has also scheduled a special meeting for Oct. 24.

According to the News and Record story, Young currently earns $186,000 a year plus benefits. The Alexandria city manager’s job will pay between $190,000 and $225,000.

“He’s coming from the big city of Greensboro, and he has accomplished a lot down there in his short tenure,” Euille told the News and Record.

The News and Record also wrote that Young is known for his friendly and approachable style.

“He is a great city manager. I think he’s destined for a bigger city,” Greensboro Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan said. “He’s so young; I think he has a great career ahead of him. I just wish we could have hung on to him longer.”

Young was 33 when he was hired as Greensboro city manager in 2009.

The Alexandria Times is reporting that, if appointed, Young would be Alexandria's first black city manager.

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10:30 p.m. update — The Greensboro (N.C.) News and Record is reporting that Rashad Young, the city manager of the third-largest city in North Carolina, is the top candidate for the Alexandria job.

Young has served as city manager in Greensboro since October 2009. Prior to his move to North Carolina, Young served as city manager in Dayton, Ohio, from 2006 to 2009. He also spent three years as an assistant city manager in Cincinnati.

According to Young's bio on the City of Greensboro website, he oversaw more than 2,800 city employees in 20 deparments as city manager. He also developed and maintained an annual budget of more than $438 million.

Alexandria has about 2,500 city employees. The city's fiscal year 2012 budget was approved in May at $566.9 million.

Young told the News and Record he expects an agreement to be reached in a few days.

“It was a tough decision because I like this community. I think Greensboro has a lot of assets," Young told the News and Record. "I am proud of this organization. I think we have some incredibly talented staff people. It wasn’t a situation where I felt like I should just get out.”

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City of Alexandria officials are very close to finalizing the selection of a new city manager, according to a statement from Mayor William D. Euille.

“City Council has interviewed several outstanding and qualified internal and external candidates for the position,” Mayor Euille said. The final candidate was not identified.

Former City Manager in May 2011 to become county manager in Seminole County, Fla.

Robert J. Berg of Anderson and Associates has worked on the search. Since May, the city’s CFO, Bruce Johnson, . He will continue in that position until the new city manager takes the reins.

City Council officials are negotiating with the candidate now, and final selection is subject to their approval. The City Council has scheduled a special meeting for Monday, Oct. 24 at .