FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, July 17, interviewed two finalists for the county attorney position and heard public comment but did not make an appointment.

The workshop at 4:31 p.m. included two live interview rounds limited to a maximum of 45 minutes per candidate, questioning by commissioners from the board’s five districts and a public-participation segment. The board recessed for a brief meet-and-greet and agreed to reconvene at 6:15 p.m.; commissioners later moved to adjourn the session at the scheduled time without selecting a finalist.

The interviews focused on candidates’ experience advising elected bodies, litigation and administrative hearings, development agreements and interaction with the public.

Michael Rodriguez, identified in the meeting as the chief deputy city attorney for the City of Palm Bay, told commissioners he has worked in Florida local government law for 28 years, including as assistant county attorney in Martin County and Volusia County and as city attorney for Apopka. Rodriguez described land use, development and environmental law as areas of specialty and said his background includes both public-sector and private-practice representation.

"As your legal counsel ... I am not the sixth commissioner," Rodriguez said, adding that the county attorney must provide legal guidance and remain independent of the board's political deliberations. He described his role as providing legal "guardrails" and said he would be "forthcoming" if questions strayed into political consequences rather than legal analysis.

The second finalist, introduced by staff as Marsha Siegel, said she has more than 45 years of experience in local government, including roles as deputy, county manager and city manager as well as city and county attorney work. Siegel emphasized her land-use experience and said she routinely drafts comprehensive plan amendments, development agreements and special-assessment documents. She also described work on insurance and claims management that, she said, produced significant cost savings in prior municipal roles.

Both candidates told commissioners they would represent the board in Tallahassee if asked, with Rodriguez saying he had testified in the past about threats to local home-rule authority and Siegel noting prior work on the Live Local program and other state-level coordination.

Public comment included several residents who addressed candidate qualifications and salary expectations. One resident, who did not give a name on the record during her remarks, urged the board to consider a long-time local resident, Jim Manfry, and questioned why Rodriguez, who the speaker said currently earns $153,000, was seeking $195,000 and had not indicated a willingness to relocate to Flagler County. The speaker also raised concerns about perceived inconsistencies in Siegel’s résumé. Perry Mitrano of Palm Coast urged the board to proceed with its selection and not delay.

The meeting produced two administrative decisions: commissioners set the interview time limit at 45 minutes per candidate and scheduled a meet-and-greet followed by reconvening at 6:15 p.m. The board moved to adjourn at the end of the recorded session. No formal appointment or vote on hiring was recorded in the transcript.

Commissioners’ questions emphasized candidate experience with mediated settlement processes, administrative hearings (DOAH), drafting development agreements, special assessments and defending or advising on controversial land-use matters. Rodriguez cited settlement and mediation experience in Volusia County, including a mediated settlement with Daytona Beach Shores over park development. Siegel described programs to manage claims and insurance costs, special-assessment mechanisms for infrastructure and experience drafting and defending land-use ordinances and comprehensive-plan items.

Both candidates described a commitment to advising elected officials while remaining outside of political decision-making. Rodriguez said: "I am your legal adviser. I am here to advise you on the law," and Siegel described making herself available to commissioners and working collaboratively with county management and department staff to answer questions raised at meetings.

The board did not announce a hiring decision at this workshop. A brief meet-and-greet with the finalists was scheduled before the board’s special meeting; the record ends with the board adjourning the session.

Notes: The transcript records candidate remarks, commissioners’ questions, and public comment. Salary figures and claims about specific outside applicants were raised by public commenters and are reported here as stated during the meeting.