City of Milton considering 43 applications for city manager position
The Milton City Council will be asked Tuesday to assist in reducing a list of city manager candidates from 43 to approximately 10 to 12.
Former Gulf Breeze City Manager Buz Eddy, who is heading up the search for someone to replace retiring Randy Jorgenson, told council members he intends to provide them his recommendations for finalists for the position. Council members received a full list of applicants ahead of their Monday Executive Committee meeting.
Plans call for the council to hold a special called meeting June 15, two days after they receive Eddy's recommendations, to vote on whether or not to accept the list and proceed to an interview phase in the hiring process. Council members agreed with Eddy's idea to conduct interviews via Zoom between June 19 and the end of the month.
"I think it's a reasonable proposal," said Councilwoman Marilynn Farrow.
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Following Eddy's guidance, the council will act on July 11 to narrow the list of candidates once again, this time to four or five who will be interviewed in person between July 12 and July 21. Under the timeline proposed, a leading candidate can be found, a contract negotiated and a new city manager put in place by the Sept. 1 date Jorgenson has targeted as his last day of work.
Eddy, who retired from the city of Gulf Breeze in 2017 after nearly a quarter century as its manager, assisted the Milton council in 2018 in a search for a chief administrator that ultimately ended, after some twists and turns, in the selection of Jorgenson.
Jorgenson, a city planner at the time of his hiring, was called upon in September of 2018 to replace Brian Watkins, who had spent nearly a decade in the job, but was fired that April after a tumultuous year in which his termination had been discussed three times. Then-Mayor Wesley Meiss cast the deciding vote to fire Watkins after the eight-member council deadlocked 4-4.
Jorgenson, who Council Member Jeff Snow has called "the best city manager this city has seen in 50 years," is leaving his job on his own terms. He had made no secret that he wanted to retire after turning 65, which happens this month.
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Who are the Milton City Manager candidates?
The City Council had announced when it embarked upon the search for Jorgenson's replacement its intention to advertise nationally for candidates and a review of resumes received indicates the job drew interest from all over the country. Applicants from Illinois, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan and even California requested consideration for the job.
Not all of the job candidates have city manager or deputy city manager experience, but several do. Howard Brown is presently the village manager of Indiantown, Kemarr Brown is assistant city manager of the city of North Miami Beach. Stefan Wynn was the city manager of Neptune Beach through January of this year and Scott Collins served as city manager of the city of Fairview, Tennessee, through last November.
Chad Morris is the deputy city manager in nearby Niceville.
Other job experiences among the candidates include manager of the largest water utility in Arkansas, the former executive director of the Choctawhatchee Bay Estuary Program, an executive in a search firm for crypto clients and an assistant sales manager for Lowe's in Pensacola.
Ed Spears, the city of Milton's economic development director, appears to be the only in-house candidate to apply for the city manager's job, but three others list Milton as their home address. Jim Ponek is a semi-retired Parks and Recreation official who recently moved from Panama City Beach to Escambia County to be closer to family.
Milton Mayor Heather Lindsay, who did not respond Tuesday to a phone call seeking comment, thanked Eddy for his work in assembling the applicant resumes and encouraged council members to read through the available resumes and highlight contenders for the interview stage.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton Florida city manager search draws 43 applicants
