The results are in, and about 260 people took the time to fill out a survey on the city’s website about the search for a new city manager.

The replies ran the gamut from serious to comedic — one commenter said it is important the new city manager wear glasses — and from supportive to combative.

The survey was open for about two and a half weeks in July and supplemented three in-person community forums, which attracted a total of 18 people sharing their thoughts.

People who completed the online survey were asked to order six goals for Suffolk according to how they believe the new city manager should prioritize them; to identify the city’s highest priorities and the greatest challenges the new city manager must address; to name areas of professional experience the new city manager should possess; and to name the top three management and leadership characteristics the new city manager should demonstrate.

There was also space to make open-ended comments, which drew nearly 6,000 words of opinion from the survey-takers.

Many respondents said they want the city manager to be transparent, approachable and responsive to citizens.

“The city manager should have a servant’s heart and at all times have the citizens in mind,” one person wrote.

Education was another priority mentioned by many survey-takers.

“I would like to see someone who is able to bridge the gap between the City Council and the school system,” one wrote.

Other priority issues mentioned multiple times included downtown revitalization, road maintenance, public utilities, tourism and improving outlying communities.

Desired traits and experience that that were frequently expressed included honesty and fiscal responsibility; a team player who can help improve employee morale in the city; a visionary and planner who can manage development well; someone who knows and cares about Suffolk, appreciates its history and handles its diversity well; someone with management experience in similar cities; someone who is a problem-solver and collaborator; someone who leads by example, delegates, and trusts department heads without micro-managing; someone who promotes and appreciates qualified personnel; and someone who is paid a fair salary, rather than an inflated one.

Among the survey-takers who commented, 14 directly expressed a preference for the current interim city manager, Patrick Roberts. Four others said to hire from within the city without mentioning Roberts directly.

“Let’s just keep the interim,” one person wrote. “He is well liked, has a working knowledge of the city, and it would be more cost effective to keep him rather than hire a new person that would require additional training.”

“So many of us citizens think we have a good city manager with our interim city manager,” another wrote. “Why spend big bucks for a search group to go out looking for one?”

However, one respondent wanted the City Council to cast a wide net in the search.

“I would like to see this council make an honest effort to look the country over and find someone that has taken a large rural area like Suffolk and helped it develop into an economically developed city, with things other than strip malls, drug stores and fast food establishments.”

One survey-taker expressed cynicism at the public input process.

“It’s no wonder that nobody came to the community forum,” the person wrote. “The city big wigs will do as they please and screw the public the same as always.”

There were also a few survey-takers with specific requests. One survey-taker wanted the city manager to be “preferably a woman, since there are several men overseeing city offices.” Another requested that the new city manager “possess impeccable fashion skills, and he or she must wear glasses.”