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Palatka commission withdraws offer to external finalist, moves to offer post to interim city manager
Summary
At a Feb. 24 special meeting the Palatka City Commission voted to reject a second counteroffer from finalist Redmond Jones and instead authorized an offer to the interim city manager with a $170,000 base salary and conditions including ICMA certification and a finance director backfill if accepted.
The Palatka City Commission voted Monday to withdraw an offer to finalist Redmond Jones and to extend an offer for the city manager position to the interim city manager.
Commissioner Claire Davis proposed the motion to withdraw the offer, saying, "I move that we do not accept the second counter offer and from and withdraw the offer to mister Redmond Jones." The motion was seconded and approved by roll call.
Why it matters: the move ends the commission's months-long recruitment for an external candidate and shifts the search outcome to an internal appointment. Commissioners spent much of the meeting debating severance terms, salary benchmarks and how to evaluate a new manager, topics that commissioners said affect both short-term stability and long-term personnel costs.
In discussion leading up to the vote, commissioners debated severance guidelines and pay ranges. City Attorney West told the commission that Florida law limits severance to a maximum of 20 weeks, stating, "Florida Statutes 215.425 limits... it puts the cap on severance in the state of Florida to 20 weeks." Several commissioners said industry guidance from ICMA (International City/County Management Association) should inform, but not dictate, the city's decisions.
After withdrawing the external candidate's offer, Commissioner Davis moved a separate motion to offer the city manager job to the interim city manager with a base salary of $170,000, the contract terms from the original offer (excluding relocation), a requirement that the manager obtain ICMA credentials within a prescribed timeframe, and instructions to backfill the finance director position if the interim accepts. The motion was seconded and approved.
Commissioners said the commission intends to finalize contract language quickly. City Attorney West told commissioners she would draft and send a contract to the interim manager for consideration and set a response deadline similar to the timetable used earlier in the search. West said she would circulate the contract the next morning and asked for a prompt response.
The commission also approved a set of performance goals and an evaluation tool to guide oversight of the incoming manager, including a 6-month review and annual evaluations. Commissioners discussed using a 360-degree component (direct reports' feedback) but raised concerns about Florida public-records law and staff protections; the commission directed staff to develop an evaluation process and timeline that addresses those concerns.
No external approvals or third-party conditions were cited in the meeting minutes. Commissioners emphasized the need for transparency to the public about pay and severance decisions and asked staff to provide comparative salary information used during the search.
What happens next: City Attorney West will prepare the offer for the interim manager and set the response deadline. The commission directed staff to finalize the performance goals and the evaluation process (including timing for department-head input), and to provide supporting materials used in the recruitment and salary comparisons for public disclosure and future reference.
