Dade City commission forwards six semifinalists to consultant for recorded city manager interviews

The Dade City Commission agreed at a workshop on Oct. 12, 2025, to forward six candidates to Sumter Consulting Group for recorded video semifinal interviews as the next step in hiring a new city manager. The recordings will be provided to the commission for review; the commission will then select finalists for in-person interviews.

Why it matters: The recorded-interview step narrows the applicant field without requiring commissioners to conduct the initial interviews. Commissioners repeatedly said they want a long-term hire and raised concerns about candidates’ short tenures and past departures, prompting several vetoes and a request that Sumter be asked specific, candidate-tailored questions.

Discussion and decision: Commissioners reviewed the applicant list provided by Sumter, noting there were 36 total applications and three internal tiers of ranking from the search firm. After discussion and some commissioners’ deep-dive research into individual resumes and local news accounts, the group settled on six names to be sent for video…