O'FALLON, MO. -- City Council members are expected to vote Tuesday night on Mayor Bill Hennessy's appointments for city administrator and police chief.

Hennessy presented council members Thursday with his selections. They are Keith J. Riesberg, 37, currently the city administrator in Sedalia; and Roy J. Joachimstaler, 58, a retired lieutenant colonel from the St. Louis police force.

Hennessy said Riesberg and Joachimstaler were recommended by separate committees, and he also thinks they are the best candidates for the jobs. "To me, it was those two gentlemen," Hennessy said.

Each of the two jobs attracted more than 60 applicants from across the nation, Hennessy said. Committees whittled the field to five for each position.

Joachimstaler was among a field of eight finalists for the St. Louis Police Department's top job after former Chief Joe Mokwa retired in the wake of a scandal involving towed vehicles.

The towing scandal and a recent state audit critical of the St. Louis department's governance left O'Fallon Councilman Dan Haney with questions about Joachimstaler's appointment.

"The other department is in the news for some issues right now, and I don't want that to bleed into O'Fallon," Haney said. He said he wasn't sure whether he would vote for Joachimstaler or not, but he wanted to ask some questions.

He said Riesberg appeared to have strong backing from the council.

Councilman Mark Perkins said he knew more about Riesberg because he served on the city administrator search committee — as did Haney. Perkins said Joachimstaler and Riesberg did well in interviews. He said council members have asked Joachimstaler about the recent issues with the St. Louis force.

"I was satisfied with his answer," Perkins said.

Riesberg has been Sedalia's city administrator since April 2005. Before that, he was city manager for the city of Roosevelt Park, Mich., and executive director of the Chesterfield Community Development Corporation.

Joachimstaler began his police career as a cadet in 1969. He worked his way through the ranks, becoming deputy chief in 2003. He became chief of detectives in charge of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations in 2007 and was named to lead the Bureau of Community Policing in 2008.

If approved, Joachimstaler will replace Jerry Schulte, who retired under pressure in January. Riesberg would replace Robert Lowery Jr., who left this summer to take a job with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington.

The council's meeting Tuesday will be open to the public, Hennessy said. It is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Joel Currier and Mark Schlinkmann of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.