Palatka commission counters Redmond Jones: $170,000 base with performance bonuses; relocation and severance terms set

Palatka commissioners on Feb. 19 reviewed a counteroffer from finalist Redmond Jones and directed staff to return a revised employment contract to Jones with a $170,000 base salary plus a performance‑based bonus structure to be defined and applied at the six‑month and 12‑month checkpoints.

The commission also approved a flat $10,000 relocation allowance and maintained a 10‑week severance provision in the contract. Commissioners rejected the candidate’s requested additional retirement and life‑insurance contributions.

The council’s stated ceiling for base salary during negotiations had been $170,000. Commissioners noted that Jones’s counter asked for roughly $193,000 — about $23,000 above the commission’s top offer. Commissioner Justin Campbell and others said they were unwilling to approve a higher base without evidence of performance; several commissioners proposed tying future increases to agreed performance metrics and probationary evaluations.

A motion to counter with a $170,000 base and a bonus structure, with a cap not to exceed $189,000 after performance increments, passed the commission 3–2. The record shows a split vote on the base/bonus motion; individual roll-call names were not read into the transcript at the time of the vote.

Relocation and severance: Commissioners debated several relocation proposals during the meeting, including the candidate’s three-tiered suggestion tied to whether the manager lived inside city limits. The commission ultimately approved a $10,000 flat relocation payment by motion (vote recorded in the meeting as all in favor). The commission reaffirmed a 10‑week severance provision and accepted 20 days’ vacation in the offer text as previously discussed.

Insurance and retirement: The commission voted to decline the candidate’s requests for additional life‑insurance and retirement contribution adjustments beyond the city’s existing plans. A motion to decline those items passed unanimously.

Contract language and timing: Commissioners also made several technical edits to the draft contract. The commission changed an effective-date reference to March 1, 2025, and restored language that the city manager’s probationary evaluation will occur during the initial 180‑day probationary period. Commissioners asked staff to finalize revisions and circulate the revised contract to Mr. Jones the following morning; the commission set a deadline for Mr. Jones to respond by close of business on Friday (the commission later confirmed that date during the meeting).

Next steps: City staff will revise the written employment agreement to reflect the commission’s directions — $170,000 base with a performance bonus schedule (metrics to be agreed later), $10,000 relocation, 10 weeks’ severance, 20 days’ vacation, and the declination of retirement/life‑insurance increases — and circulate it to Mr. Jones. Commissioners asked HR and legal to calculate any fiscal impacts of the requested retirement and insurance items and to return with clarified language and any budget implications if needed.

No contract was executed at the Feb. 19 meeting; staff will send the revised counter and await Mr. Jones’s response by the commission’s stated deadline.