CLAREMONT — Municipal Resources Inc., of Bedford, N.H., the consulting firm hired to conduct a search for a new city manager, has received 19 resumes from several states, Mayor Dale Girard said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

Girard said four of the applicants are from New Hampshire, three from Maine, two each from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and one each from Arizona, California, Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont.

MRI wrote in a letter to the council that it would review and score each resume and then select candidates for essay questions.

The chosen applicants would have 10 to 14 days to respond to the questions. MRI will also begin preliminary background work to decide who would be scheduled for phone interviews.

Girard said he expects the council would begin conducting interviews in about a month.

Former Fire Chief Rick Bergeron was named interim city manager following the resignation of Nancy Bates in late July. Bates served seven months as full-time city manager and was interim for several months before that.

Patrick O'Grady covers Claremont and Newport for the Valley News. He can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com