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Fort Lauderdale outlines timeline and ground rules for city manager and city attorney searches
Summary
City staff said the city manager search committee will conduct Zoom interviews this week and that the city attorney job posting opened; HR staff described screening procedures and a timeline that will lead to committee recommendations for commission interviews.
City staff updated commissioners on Jan. 7 about two active executive searches: the city manager search, which is in committee interview stages, and an early city attorney search that the city had just posted.
Staff said the city manager search committee is scheduled to conduct Zoom interviews on Thursday of the current week with the committee beginning at 9 a.m. The interviews will be recorded and subsequently posted on the city website; staff said the committee will meet again (noted as Jan. 14) to review the recorded interviews and narrow candidates to a short list for the commission’s consideration.
City staff also said the city attorney vacancy was posted on Jan. 6 and will remain open for approximately 30 days (through mid‑February). Applications will be managed through the city’s applicant tracking system (NEOGOV). Staff said they will screen applicants against the posted minimum qualifications and refer qualified candidates to the search committee for interviews.
That discussion prompted a separate procedural conversation about the roles of interim and acting officials during an open search. City legal staff said interim or acting officeholders may speak with candidates who request background information about the job, but they advised against public criticism of candidates to avoid “poisoning the pool.” Staff suggested that impartial senior staff could be an alternative contact for candidate questions if commissioners prefer.
Ending
Staff said it will provide the commission with committee recommendations after interviews and requested commissioners refrain from discussing candidate preferences publicly with staff to preserve an impartial process.
