The Tallahassee City Commission is kickstarting the search for the next city manager, but the process is already off to an explosive start.
Commissioners butted heads, debating how to proceed with the selection process for the capital city’s newest leader.
After a brief presentation about the expectations for the search, Commissioner Jeremy Matlow weighed in, calling for the next commission after this year’s election to make the decision. He harshly criticized City Manager Reese Goad and the way things have played out in City Hall during his nearly decade-long tenure.
“Since his appointment, Mr. Goad has presided over repeated instances of mismanagement within city government and has created a toxic culture of fear and intimidation,” Matlow said.
Mayor John Dailey was quick to cut him off saying his comments were irrelevant to the agenda item at hand and his comments needed to be reserved until the end of the meeting during commissioner time.
“I am asking you, as a colleague, to please wrap up your comments,” Dailey said. “We know your feelings; you’ve made it very clear in the public that you would like the next commission to have the opportunity to select the city manager. I think that (will) suffice for the record without having to drag … Mr. Goad’s reputation through the muck.”
The two then launched into one of the more vituperative exchanges on the dais in recent years, further underscoring the intractable 3-2 divide on the board. Dailey repeatedly cut Matlow off, prompting Matlow to object and insist he finish his thoughts.
Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson also chimed in.
“We’re not here to prosecute or make accusations against the current city manager. We’re looking to the future for the next city manager, and we’re trying to get a process in place,” Williams-Cox said.
Richardson corrected Matlow’s comments about the process used in previous city manager appointments, saying what he was detailing didn’t occur. Matlow then called out Richardson for “directly attacking” another commissioner out of order.
“No, no, Commissioner Matlow, because you started it by tearing everybody else apart,” Dailey said, coming to Richardson’s defense.
And yet, the scrap ended in a surprising 4-1 vote — Matlow being the only commissioner in opposition — with the commission approving the hiring of S. Renée Narloch & Associates, an executive recruitment firm, to begin the nationwide search process for candidates for the next Tallahassee city manager.
The city is paying the company nearly $30,000 to create a job posting, gather candidates, interview them and present the best slate of candidates to the commission to make the final decision.
Before the commission voted to hire the firm, Matlow pushed for a “clean slate” by having Goad resign immediately and appointing Deputy City Manager Karen Jumonville as the interim city manager for a year while the city looks to fill the position permanently.
“Under the current arrangement, no responsible national candidate would be interested in taking the helm of the City of Tallahassee on a divided commission in a city that’s embroiled in federal investigations with HUD,” Matlow said. “We can’t expect reasonable people to apply at this time. We need a bridge.”
A former city employee filed whistleblower retaliation complaints alleging she was fired after notifying management about high costs and other problems with its federally funded grant program to replace lead paint contaminated doors for low-income families.
The complaint involves the city’s lead-based paint hazard abatement program, which is funded through a $4.4 million U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant that made headlines after the agency deemed it “high risk” on May 8 and placed it under audit over concerns, including replacement doors that cost more than $8,000 each.
How does the city manager selection process work?
Goad announced his plan to retire the morning of April 28 in a letter to commissioners. His tenure will end Sept. 30 – or once the commission appoints a replacement.
In the meantime this is the process that is set to unfold with S. Renée Narloch & Associates leading the way:
This is a developing news story. Check back later for more.
Jeff Burlew contributed background. Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee commission squabbles over selection of next city manager
Reporting by Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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