- April 29, 2024
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The Flagler Beach City Commission has narrowed its search for its next city manager to five candidates.
In a June 27 special meeting, the commission chose Dale Martin, Todd Michaels, David Williams, James Gleason and Howard Brown as its top five choices. The commission will interview each candidate individually on July 14, with a special public meeting also scheduled that day at 1 p.m.
Commissioners could also decide to vote for a city manager on July 14, but a second meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 18 in case they do not.
The June 27 special meeting only lasted 20 minutes. Colin Baenziger, of the executive recruiting firm Colin Baenziger & Associates, said it may have been the shortest he’s seen in 25 years.
“That’s what happens you do your homework,” Commission Chair Eric Cooley said.
The city had nine candidates in total to choose from. Baenziger said he would notify all the candidates of the commission’s choices.
To accommodate scheduling conflicts, the commission decided to move its July 13 meeting to July 12 and hold a reception for the candidates on July 13. Commission Chair Eric Cooley will not be able to attend the July 12 commission meeting in person but will vote remotely.
Because four of the five candidates are from out of state, Flagler Beach will pay for each of the out-of-state candidates to fly in for the interviews. The city will also pay for all five to stay in Flagler Beach for up to two nights.
Martin is the only one from Florida. He is from Fernandina Beach, located north of Jacksonville, where he was terminated as city manager in February in a 3-2 vote, according to a news article from the News-Leader in Fernandina Beach.
Interim City Manager Mike Abels was hired on in February, but said a condition of his hiring was that he could only stay on until September.
