Pembroke selectmen are a few steps closer to wrapping up their search for a new town administrator, and expect to further narrow down the field of nearly 20 candidates down soon.

They’ve conducted several interviews already, and will go through some more over the next few weeks, said Fred Kline, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

In the meantime, the town has gotten along just fine with help from Caroll Murray of Municipal Resources Inc., an agency that provides municipalities with staff and consultation when needed.

Murray stepped into the shoes of former Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles, who formally announced his resignation before selectmen on June 30. His last day was July 18.

Kline said the self-sufficiency of the town’s departments has also been a blessing as the board searches for the right candidate. “We were lucky Geoff contacted MRI for us when we gave notice, and Carol was able to start instantly, so she started a day or two before he left,” Kline said, allowing Ruggles to train her. “We’re fortunate that we have so many strong department heads. Without them, we’d be falling apart.”

Ruggles, who lives in Gilford, said he took a finance director job in Gilford to be closer to home and family.

Ruggles had been working as permanent town administrator since December, having spent three months on an interim basis before that, taking over for the prior town administrator, Troy Brown. Before that, he was the town’s finance director.

“It’s a great place to work. The people have been very supportive and very easy to get along with and work with, and it’s really just been a great experience,” said Ruggles about Pembroke’s Town Hall employees as well as its residents. “I know that sounds so trite, but it’s true.”

Kline said the lull between administrators and some other shuffles in the town offices have afforded selectmen the opportunity to take a closer look at structure of the town’s governance.

The town did not replace former town planner Laura Scott, who resigned in fall 2007. Also, Ruggles was still doing part of his old job, which was the finance director for Pembroke, a position that was not filled when he vacated it.

The town contracted planning consulting services out to the Central New Hampshire Planning Commission, and Kline said the costs associated with that need to be re-evaluated. “The sub-contract hours kind of add up. Now’s the time to look at that again,” Kline said, to determine whether the town would be better off with a staffed town planner.

With a new U.S. president soon, the economy could take a turn that would give the town some wiggle room in terms of funding, or possibly restrict funding further.

“In election years, the economy can do funny things,” Kline said. “Next year, we might have a whole different economy.”