San Antonio Assistant City Manager David McCary used his position to give preferential treatment to one applicant to lead the city’s troubled Animal Care Services department while potentially holding back another, critics charge, pointing to city email correspondence. McCary’s alleged efforts to sway the hiring process came despite the city signing a $30,000 contract with Pennsylvania-based executive-recruiting firm Affion Public in January to conduct an independent search for the position. The city is still in the midst of a search to replace ACS Director Shannon Sims who resigned in May.