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Writer's pictureMike Lednovich

City Manager search brochure reveals challenges city faces in attracting qualified candidates



The City's brochure to recruit a new city manager has not been made public until now. It is attached above and includes insightful editing comments from Jim Hanson of the Florida City/County Management Association who is acting as an advisor to the Citizens Search Committee.

Among Hanson's suggestions for the Colin-Beanziger document was taking exception to this verbiage: "The trick is to get everyone (the public, the staff and the Commission) to agree on how to proceed and get it done."

Hanson quoted Abraham Lincoln in writing "this implies...that there are strong and major differences of opinion between individuals and groups. It also gives the impression that the City Manager must make everyone happy which, as Abraham Lincoln pointed out, is impossible."

Hanson said a better description would be that the Mayor and City Commission should be committed to working with any new City Manager to make the best long-term decisions for the City.

In describing the abilities necessary for the city manager job, Hanson wrote that "the Mayor, Commission and citizens should all understand that there is no Superman or Wonder Woman when it comes to candidates. No one has it all."

He also took issue with the idea of hiring a businessman as city manager.

"I have yet to see any manager that starts without government experience to be successful in their first few years."

Hanson said the new city manager would have to "hit the ground running to be successful."

The salary range is $190,000 to $225,000. The former city manager was paid $160,000.

The turnover of city managers in the city was also a concern according to Hanson.

"Are the Mayor and Commissioners committed to working together and with their new Manager to create and support a long term relationship to maximize what can be accomplished for the City? If so, some statement to that effect may be needed."

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1 Comment


Unknown member
Jun 07, 2023

The mayor and commissioners that voted to fire former City Manager should be fired by the populace - BEFORE the next election. They are a disgrace!


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