A survey has been released and three public forums have been set to gather citizen input about the qualities the new city manager should possess.

The online survey is located at www.suffolkva.us/citymanagersurvey. Survey-takers are being asked to order six goals for Suffolk according to how they believe the new city manager should prioritize them; identify the city’s highest priorities and greatest challenges that the new city manager must address; name areas of professional experience the new city manager should possess; and name the top three management and leadership characteristics the new city manager should demonstrate. There’s also space to make open-ended comments.

The community forums will take place on the following dates and locations. Each one is from 6 to 8 p.m.

• July 23, King’s Fork Recreation Center, 350 Kings Fork Road
• July 28, East Suffolk Recreation Center, 138 S. Sixth St.
• July 30, Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, 1030 University Blvd.

Input from the survey and the forums will be gathered and will help guide the decision making process to choose the next city manager, according to a city press release.

“The feedback obtained will be used to create a position profile, a tool used to recruit and evaluate the qualifications of candidates who apply for the city manager position,” the release states.

Anyone who needs help filling out the online survey can get assistance at one of Suffolk’s three library branches. The survey is open through July 31.