The search for a new general manager for RTD has come down to a “handful” of candidates, says the RTD elected board’s Executive Search Committee.

The committee expects to name finalists for the position on Tuesday, and the candidates are to be presented on Thursday, Dec. 10, at a public reception, scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Oxford Hotel, 1600 17th St.

The RTD board expects to select one of the finalists by the end of the month to replace longtime general manager Cal Marsella, who resigned in July amid mounting criticism of RTD’s handling of the beleaguered FasTracks rapid transit program. FasTracks has been hit with huge cost increases and significant drops in sales tax revenue. Where the financial plan had cushion in 2004 to absorb increases, it now has a $2.2 billion gap that means RTD cannot complete the program as originally planned by 2017 without finding new revenue.

According to the search committee, both it and the executive search firm RTD hired to assist in the recruitment, Krauthamer & Associates have continued to look at resumes but have narrowed the pool sufficiently to name the finalists. It did not say how many finalists it would select.

But they all will be expected to attend the reception next week, so that community members, RTD staff, contract employees and others can meet with them informally.

The RTD board still hasn’t decided whether to seek two new managers – one for the agency overall and one to be “FasTracks Czar.” Splitting the responsibilities was one proposal on the table after Marsella resigned. The position of FasTracks program director has been vacant since August 2008 when former head Liz Rao left to take a position with HNTB Corp. Since then, responsibilities have been split on an acting basis between engineering chief Rick Clarke and planning head Bill Van Meter.

A Civic Leaders Panel will be named soon, consisting of five individuals to collectively represent many different constituencies across the region. The panel will meet with the finalists as part of the interview process and share their observations with the RTD Board prior to the Board’s decision. The Board continues to work toward making a selection by the end of this year.

Krauthamer, a Maryland firm, is being paid a fixed fee of $40,000 for the general manager recruitment, plus up to $25,000 for reimbursable costs. If the board decides to seek a FasTracks chief in addition, Krauthamer would get a second fee of $35,000.

Through October, more than 600 people had either contacted or been contacted by Krauthammer, with 250 of them submitting their resumes. Phil Washington, an RTD veteran manager who has been acting general manager since Marsella left, is one of the applicants.