Palm Coast council selects Paul Trombino as city manager after divided vote

The Palm Coast City Council voted 3-2 on May 1 to appoint Paul Trombino as the city's next manager, after two rounds of votes and extended public and council discussion about budget experience, timing and the city's immediate needs.

The selection follows a contested process that produced two finalists: Paul Trombino and Richard Huff. Vice Mayor Pontieri moved to appoint Richard Huff in the first round, but that motion failed. A later motion to appoint Trombino carried with three votes in favor and two opposed. Vice Mayor Pontieri and Council Member Miller voted no; Mayor Norris, Council Member Gambaro and Council Member Sullivan voted yes.

The council and the search consultant, Doug Thomas, discussed start dates, compensation expectations and the candidates' experience with large capital programs. Thomas told the council that the finalists had supplied salary expectations in their application materials: Trombino indicated a base in the $240,000–$250,000 range, while Huff listed a lower target near $160,000; Thomas also warned the council that total compensation typically adds roughly 25–30 percent to base salary for benefits.

Council members spent substantial time debating which candidate's experience best matched the city's priorities. Several members flagged the city's capital-heavy budget — noting that capital outlay is a large share of the adopted FY2025 budget while personnel services are a smaller share — and questioned whether either finalist had direct experience managing a multiyear municipal operating and capital program of Palm Coast's scale. Council Member Gambaro said he favored Trombino because of his statewide and infrastructure experience. Council Member Sullivan and others voiced concern about budget experience and the need to set a new manager up for success.

Public comment at the meeting was extensive; residents pressed for stability, transparency and for the council to avoid rushing a choice. Speakers who attended the finalists' public interviews and meet-and-greet described differing impressions: some said Huff appeared more direct in answering budget questions and more likely to move quickly, while others said Trombino's engineering and large-project background matched Palm Coast's infrastructure priorities.

After the Trombino appointment passed, the council directed Vice Mayor Pontieri to lead contract negotiations with the selected candidate with assistance from the city attorney and the search consultant. The council also asked both finalists to submit short, focused white papers describing their budget experience and how they would approach Palm Coast's finances; the council set a deadline for those materials and asked staff and the consultant to schedule follow-up consideration at the next business meeting.

The council and the consultant discussed candidate availability and likely transition timing. Thomas said typical start windows range from roughly 30 to 90 days depending on candidates' personal circumstances; his review of the candidates' questionnaires noted Trombino indicated he could begin within three to four weeks after an agreement, while Huff indicated six to eight weeks.

Council members emphasized they wanted the new manager to be set up for success and sought a unanimous vote if possible; several members said they were not fully certain either finalist possessed every quality the city needs, and therefore asked for the white papers to clarify budget-related experience. The council scheduled further consideration for the next business meeting so members could review the white papers and discuss contract terms publicly.

The appointment ends the finalist interviews and begins contract negotiations; the effective hire date and final compensation will be determined in negotiations and returned to the council for ratification.