The Lynn Haven City Commission discussed whether to hire an executive search firm to recruit a new city manager but did not authorize a contract; staff will collect commissioners’ priorities and return with a proposed process.

Interim Human Resources/Administration briefed the commission on options: a full-service executive recruitment firm (estimated $35,000–$50,000), a more limited a la carte engagement, or an in-house national advertising approach. Interim City Manager Vicky Hodges (staff presenter) and other staff recommended collecting commissioner input on required qualifications before launching a search. “In order for us to be able to serve you… I'm going to need some feedback,” Hodges said.

Why it matters: hiring a city manager is a multi-year governance decision that affects city operations and budget; commissioners expressed concern about spending on an interim search and the need to involve citizens. Commissioner discussion favored advertising the position through the city website and professional outlets first and then considering a firm if applicant quality is insufficient.

Details and next steps: staff said the League of Cities and other professional outlets can distribute postings and that the city’s advertising pipeline (Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, Monster) funnels applications into the city’s application archive. Staff also noted budgetary space in FY26 for third-party recruitment and a position-salary study if the commission chooses that route. The mayor and commissioners asked staff to solicit one-on-one feedback from each commissioner on the top qualifications and to return with a recommendation; no motion to hire a firm was approved.

Ending: staff will take commissioner input, refine the position description and present recruitment options at a subsequent meeting.