MOXEE, Wash. -- East Valley fire commissioners agreed Monday to start contract negotiations with a former Michigan fire chief to become the department's next top administrator.

George Spencer, who has worked in the fire service since 1980, could start as East Valley's chief within two months after he settles on salary and other benefits, commission Chairman Joe Gendron said.

Spencer, 46, later Monday said that he was looking forward to hearing from the commissioners this morning, but he declined to comment in detail before then.

The job was advertised to pay between $80,000 and $90,000.

East Valley has been without a permanent chief since Warren Gay's contract expired last August. He was put on administrative leave last spring after a period of turmoil within the department.

Gendron and the two other commissioners -- Dan McNulty and Les Riel -- all said that Spencer was their top choice after a panel made up of the board, community representatives and local fire officials interviewed all four of the candidates.

"He shined more than the others did through the whole procedure," Gendron said.

Gendron highlighted Spencer's experience throughout his career in combination paid-volunteer departments, and said his personality and demeanor should be a good match. Riel said Spencer's approach to budgeting seemed in line with the commission's goal as well.

If Spencer can't settle on a contract, the commission's consultant would be called back to resume the search.

"We didn't have a second pick" on the short list of candidates, Riel said.

Spencer, 46, resigned from the fire department in Leonard, Mich., earlier this year after effectively being put on paid leave.

He was accused of advancing a firefighter partial pay so the individual could buy Christmas presents, according to a report in the Oxford Leader newspaper. The city did not have a procedure allowing that.

City officials in Michigan credited Spencer with transforming the department, including bringing in advanced emergency care and greatly reducing the jurisdiction's insurance ratings.

East Valley commissioners said they reviewed the details of the pay advance and found that Spencer had not broken any laws or procedures. This round of finalists for the chief's job underwent a deeper background check than any other recent hires, Gendron said.

Spencer said earlier that he would wait before discussing specifics of any changes he would propose in East Valley.

Spencer will oversee less than a half-dozen career staff and about 30 volunteers.