Temple Terrace to interview five preferred city clerk candidates; council to cover travel for out‑of‑town finalists

The Temple Terrace City Council on May 6 directed staff to invite all five preferred candidates for the city clerk position to in‑person interviews and agreed to pay travel expenses for the two candidates who would have to travel from out of town.

Council members discussed how many finalists to interview and whether to prioritize local applicants. Council member Kravitz noted the applicant pool exceeded 400 applicants and expressed interest in one candidate who holds a JD. Vice Mayor Schisler and others said they did not want to limit the field and preferred interviewing all five preferred candidates so councilors could compare applicants directly; the council noted two of the five preferred candidates are local and three are from outside Florida.

City staff described prior HR guidance that suggested interviewing three to five candidates. City counsel and staff advised that if council chooses to interview out‑of‑town finalists, the city typically pays reasonable travel expenses and that a virtual preliminary interview could be used but an in‑person meeting is customary before a final hire. Council gave direction to staff to schedule interviews and work with candidates on dates and travel logistics; there was no formal vote recorded on hiring at this meeting.

Background: The city manager said the application period produced hundreds of applicants, with a short list of preferred candidates forwarded to council. Council asked staff to coordinate and return with scheduled interview dates.