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Longwood commission approves city manager recruitment process and job brochure, sets $155,006 minimum
Summary
Commission approved a recruitment process, job description and marketing brochure for the city manager search; HR proposed a minimum starting salary of $155,006 with no formal cap and ICMA/FCCMA senior advisers will assist the screening.
The Longwood City Commission on March 17 approved the city manager recruitment process, the job description and a marketing brochure to begin a search that will start accepting applications in April.
Maggie Ridhory, Longwood’s human resources director, presented a proposed timeline that would advertise the job from April 1–30, have HR screen minimum qualifications, then rely on senior advisers from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Florida City/County Management Association (FCCMA) to produce ranked candidate lists for the commission’s review. “This is your recruitment,” Ridhory told the commission. “The position will be advertised on recruitment publication websites, social media, state municipal league sites… and we’ll do this for 30 days.”
Kenneth Parker, a senior adviser with FCCMA/ICMA, described the advisers’ role as a paper‑review screening including a three‑tiered list (highly qualified, qualified, not qualified). Parker said the advisers do not verify candidate claims in the initial review and recommended a multi‑day interview schedule that includes meet‑and‑greet, individual commissioner interviews and public group interviews.
Ridhory told commissioners the city’s established minimum for the city manager pay band is $155,006. She said the pay band has no cap so the commission retains flexibility to negotiate a higher salary. “The minimum that we can pay for this position is $155,006,” she said. Ridhory recommended advertising the position at that minimum with salary negotiable above it depending on qualifications.
Some commissioners expressed concern about leaving no cap in the pay plan; Commissioner Shoemaker said she preferred a capped range to avoid an “unreasonable amount.” Other commissioners argued that leaving no formal cap allows the commission to negotiate for the strongest candidates and to advertise a lower starting minimum without discouraging applicants. Commissioners discussed publishing a negotiated range in the brochure (for example, $155,006–$185,000) while keeping no cap in the formal pay plan.
The commission voted 5–0 to approve the recruitment process, 5–0 to approve the job description, and 5–0 to approve the marketing brochure.
Next steps: staff will post the position as directed; the ICMA/FCCMA senior advisers will review applications after HR’s initial screening; commissioners plan to hold candidate interviews in mid‑to‑late June, with an expected transition timeline into late summer or early fall depending on finalists’ notice periods.
