It’s been a week of indecision for the Austin City Council. Now the council is walking a fine line, and we hope they come out on the high side.

After several months searching for the right fit to fill the vacant city administrator post, the council brought four candidates — Kandis Hanson, Andrew Morris, Pat Oman and Steve Wilke — to Austin on Sept. 19 and 20. The council had indicated they’d make a pick on the 20th, but they didn’t. Then members planned to make a pick at a Sept. 25 meeting, but they didn’t.

Instead, they’ve only muddied the waters. Mayor Tom Stiehm perhaps summarized the council’s indecision best: “It seems the council is all over the table,” he said. “Nobody has really jumped out yet.”

Council members are clearly not 100 percent sold on any one candidate, so we commend them for not hiring simply to finish the process and appease the public, candidates and city staff.

The city administrator is a vital position — and one that will cost $120,000 to $130,000 — so the council better be sure of its hire.

But the council’s actions have only made matters more complex. On Thursday, the council voted to eliminate Pat Oman from contention and bring in two more candidates for interviews on Oct. 3 and 4.

But after Thursday’s meeting, Morris withdrew his name from contention. One of the new candidates has also withdrawn.

The candidates aren’t going to wait forever. A hiring process like this doesn’t just make for indecision in Austin. It also means each candidate’s current city is left without an answer.

The council’s indecision could feasibly bring them back to square one.

We commend the council for not rushing into a pick. Ultimately, it’s the right decision, but it could backfire.

Such indecision could dissuade future candidates from applying for similar positions, only making it harder to find the next pick for other positions.

We urge the council to come up with a clear, firm plan for a decision after Oct. 3 and 4.

If they still don’t know by then, that’s a pretty clear indication.