WESTERLY — The two town manager finalists were publicly placed in the hot seat Monday night, answering Town Council questions and outlining their approaches to lead Westerly.

The council plans to meet Friday morning in executive session to come to a consensus and announce their selection next Monday.

The two finalists, William DiLibero, Hopkinton’s town manager of the past 2½ years, and Steven Hartford, Westerly solicitor, made remarks at Town Hall, where the temperature inside hovered at 86 degrees.

Councilors defended their selection process to date, and acknowledged receiving from an unknown source a petition signed by 228 residents calling for the council to appoint a politically independent and qualified individual. The petition was typed and the signers alphabetized by first name.

Councilor Caswell Cooke Jr. said the selection process has not been political: “That’s the farthest thing from the truth. It doesn’t work that way.” Councilor Jack Felber said, “I chose based on who I felt I could work with and who I felt would work best for the town.”

Before about 15 members of the public, DiLibero, 51, outlined an economic development strategy for Westerly. He called for a focus on the train station and surrounding area to be used for the benefit of small businesses and encourage tourism from New York and Boston.

He also called to maintain and grow local manufacturing jobs by marketing through the town Web site, using existing tax stabilization, and working with state and federal agencies and the schools.

During his tenure as Hopkinton manager, DiLibero said the town has seen the construction of more than 300,000 square feet of manufacturing, bringing mostly out-of-state jobs to Rhode Island.

DiLibero also said he would continue participating in efforts to reform the state Caruolo Act, a move that would reduce barriers for municipalities to work with schools on their budgets. He also said services among towns should be regionalized when possible, specifically emergency services dispatch.

“It’s a difficult time. My approach is not to lay people off, but my approach is not to backfill,” DiLibero said. For example, he said, the town manager could, in cooperation with the planning department, fulfill the role of an economic development manager.

And while he said he does not believe union contracts can be radically changed year to year, town officials can “chip away” at them and secure gradual increases in health insurance co-pays.

Councilors questioned DiLibero about his economic development experience, environmental background, tourism and budgeting approaches and feelings about whether a manager should live in town.

A North Kingstown resident, DiLibero said while he has young children in school and his wife works in Boston, he could find a local rental for the off-season. In the long-term, however, he would “look forward to the opportunity to reside … in Westerly.”

“I look at my job as a town manager as being a 24-7 job,” he added, noting he gives out his cell phone number and has an opendoor policy as manager.

Hartford, 46, said the changing economy can be looked at as “an opportunity to reshape and restructure the government as we know it,” and said he would look at consolidating and reducing the town workforce.

“Clearly we need to look at downsizing town government in the face of declining state aid … “ he said. “We have to respect and value the work our town employees do, certainly, but the town government does not exist to provide job security to its employees.”

He added, “There is no reason why we cannot deliver services more efficiently and with a smaller staff.”

Hartford proposed working with local lenders to create a community development fund that would provide low or no-interest loans to small businesses. The fund would be financed by local banks, but backed up by the town government.

And, if appointed town manager, he said he would review the town’s affordable housing plan and propose new strategies and make recommendations to consolidate certain school and municipal operations within 90 days.

Council questions for Hartford included his knowledge of the budget and his proposal to downsize at Town Hall. They also asked him to describe Westerly’s quality of life as if he were addressing a business or individual considering coming to town.

Councilor Brian McCuin asked how Hartford would respond to critics who say his selection as town manager is a done deal.

“That, Mr. Hartford, is the white elephant in the room,” McCuin said.

Hartford agreed there is that perception among some in the community.

“I think there’s definitely a cynical view out there that somehow … this decision has been pre-ordained. I think that’s unfortunate. It’s not true; it’s incorrect,” he said.

“I do believe I have earned the right by my hard work, my credentials, my determination and the success I’ve had in government over eight years. I think I deserve and I’ve earned the right to be considered a leading candidate for this position,” Hartford added.

Earlier, he detailed his “strongest attribute” for councilors: “You know what you’re getting with me. You know my work ethic. You know how I interact and relate to members of the community and town staff. You know how I weigh issues and make decisions based on facts and not based on politics or personal relationships … and most of all you know the strength of my commitment to my community, to Westerly and to its taxpayers.”

Councilor Christopher Duhamel said Hartford has a “distinct advantage” because he has worked for the town.

“I know you to be a persistent advocate for the town,” he said.

While they are both attorneys, DiLibero and Hartford bring different backgrounds to the table.

DiLibero pointed to his past experience in Massachusetts, which included, in 1979, managing a county energy-auditing program. In 1989, he headed the landfill closure program for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and was promoted to serve as the deputy director of the state’s division of solid waste, overseeing about 30 employees. In 1993, he became the agency’s first GIS program manager.

A certified planner since 2004, he held planner posts in Foster and Cumberland before taking the top job at Hopkinton Town Hall.

“I have been an effective and capable government manager for half of my professional career,” DiLibero said. “I am an experienced public manager, I’m a team builder, I work with staff to maximize their abilities.”

In Hopkinton, he said he manages about 60 people and counted, among his accomplishments, renovating the Town Hall, establishing a municipal court, setting up an e-911 system and restructuring the monthly Planning Board agenda to ensure space for non-residential projects.

Hartford said he graduated ninth in his class from law school and went to work in the downtown Westerly law firm started by his grandfather.

For three years preceding law school, Hartford worked in the private sector as the general manager of a school bus company in Danbury, Conn., where he oversaw more than 300 employees — a figure greater, he said, than the number employed by the town of Westerly.

In 1990, he was elected to the Westerly Town Council and appointed vice president. In 1996, he was appointed town solicitor, a position he has held for a total of eight years, including the past four.

During that time, he said he has played a “key role” in some of the town’s major successes, including the purchases of the Westerly Middle School property and new town beach and building of the new police station and Department of Public Works facility.

The Democrat said he is proud of the bipartisan support he has earned in the community. He read sections from letters of recommendation written by former Westerly Town Councilor David Gingerella and state Sen. Dennis Algiere, both Republicans.

Locally, Hartford said he has served as the president of the boards of directors at the Westerly Adult Day Services, Westerly Education Endowment Fund and the Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce, where he said he was “in effect, for two years, the leader of the business community.”

Town Manager Joseph T. Turo plans to retire at the end of the workday next Monday.

On Monday, councilors unanimously appointed town Chief of Staff Sharon Ahern to serve as interim town manager until to the new hire is able to start.

To get to this point, the previous council received 40 applications, but opted to leave the selection process to the next elected council.

The current council narrowed the field using two rubrics — one designed by the town human resources director and one designed by the council — and interviewed the top five applicants.