The Titusville City Council on July 12 ranked Michael Rodriguez as its top choice to become the city attorney and Scott McHenry as the council’s second choice, following a special meeting in which members interviewed four finalists.

City Manager (unnamed) opened the special meeting by explaining its purpose: “the purpose of this special meeting is to evaluate the applications for the position of city attorney,” and each finalist was interviewed in public for about 30 minutes, the manager said. Council members then discussed candidates and held a roll-call vote that approved the Rodriguez/McHenry ranking 3–2.

Why it matters: The city attorney advises the council on land use, litigation strategy, contracts and legal compliance; the choice affects how the city manages litigation risk, outsources outside counsel and prepares council members for quasi‑judicial land‑use hearings.

The interviews emphasized litigation experience, land‑use practice and how each candidate would balance legal advice with public communication. Michael Rodriguez introduced himself as “the chief assistant city attorney … for the city [of] Palm Bay,” and described nearly three decades of municipal practice. Scott McHenry told council members he had extensive litigation experience in both private practice and local government, including eminent domain and large, multi‑party disputes, and emphasized running a fiscally disciplined legal office.

Jennifer Cockcroft, a board‑certified local government attorney, and a fourth finalist who identified herself as an assistant city attorney with West Palm Beach also interviewed. Council members and candidates discussed common subjects: when to keep litigation in‑house versus hiring outside counsel, how the attorney’s office should brief council members on legislative versus quasi‑judicial land‑use items, and the city attorney’s role relative to political questions.

Public comment included a developer who urged more open, multi‑party meetings between developers, the city manager and the city attorney and raised concerns about past practice. Resident Dwight Seavers, a former city attorney, urged high ethical standards and independence. One member of the public urged the council not to hire one finalist; those remarks were offered as public comment and not verified by council staff.

The council’s formal action was a ranked preference rather than an employment contract. City Manager announced that human resources will meet with Rodriguez to discuss terms, and any employment offer will be returned to the council for approval at its July 22 meeting.

Votes at a glance: The council voted 3–2 to approve a ranking naming Michael Rodriguez first and Scott McHenry second. The motion was made by Member Stockel; the roll call recorded yes votes from Mayor Connors, Vice Mayor Cole and Member Stockel and no votes from Member Nelson and Member Muscoso.

The council did not make a binding employment offer at the July 12 meeting; the next step is formal terms negotiation by human resources followed by council action on July 22.

Background: Candidates described decades of municipal and land‑use work in Florida. Interview topics included litigation examples (university or large‑scale cases, code enforcement, foreclosures, and land‑use administrative hearings), outside counsel management, and how to explain contentious legal positions in plain language.

Council members said they were impressed by the candidate pool and thanked applicants for applying and appearing publicly. The council’s preference ranking will guide HR negotiations but does not itself employ a candidate.