Sarasota selects Sumter Local Government Consulting to lead city manager search; vote 4-1

The Sarasota City Commission voted 4-1 on Sept. 9 to hire Sumter Local Government Consulting to run the city manager executive search, selecting the smaller firm over a larger national recruiter after hearing presentations from both.

The commission’s decision followed one hour-plus presentations, questions and public comment at a special meeting convened to interview search firms. Warren Habacher, president and founder of Sumter, told commissioners his firm would act as a single point of contact for the city and emphasized a highly customized process, a candidate portal for commissioner access, two-day semifinal interview recordings and a two-year placement guarantee. Sumter’s flat fee proposal to Sarasota was $18,000 plus preapproved advertising and travel expenses.

Why it matters: the city must replace its city manager and commissioners said they wanted a transparent process that balances wide candidate outreach, Florida Sunshine Law compliance and local knowledge. Commissioners pressed both firms on how they would protect confidentiality for potential candidates, how they would assess “fit” and soft skills, and how they would present Sarasota’s unique challenges to out-of-state applicants.

MGT, the larger firm, presented first. Charlene Stevens, vice president of human capital, and recruiter Jim Deneen described a national outreach operation, active sourcing through a 36-recruiter network, a multi-step screening process and a typical recruitment fee MGT estimated at $37,000 plus an additional estimated $8,000 for expenses and travel (MGT summarized the total as about $45,000). MGT offered a one-year placement guarantee (a second search at expense-only if a placement leaves within 12 months) and highlighted Florida experience and a higher volume of national placements.

Sumter emphasized customization, a flat $18,000 fee (with client-approved advertising and travel billed at cost), a two-year replacement guarantee and hands-on involvement by Habacher as the primary point of contact. Habacher described an outreach program that combines advertising, targeted phone recruitment to passive candidates and affinity-group placement, and said Sumter would provide a detailed candidate matrix and recorded 45-minute semifinal interviews for commissioners to view.

Commissioners asked repeated questions about Florida’s Sunshine Law and how applicant materials would be handled. Both firms said they would comply; MGT said it would transmit applicant materials to the city for public-release requests, and Sumter said it would provide commissioner logins to a candidate portal while noting the city could control public access and that standard public records law still applies.

Public comment during the meeting included a statement by Martin Hyde criticizing city budgeting and staff candor; his remarks were part of the public comment segment, not the search firm selection. Hyde argued staff had not fully disclosed the cost impact of proposed raises on the general fund and urged accountability.

Deliberations centered on tradeoffs: MGT’s broader national network, larger firm infrastructure and Florida recruiting experience vs. Sumter’s lower fee, two-year guarantee, more bespoke process and direct hands-on approach. Commissioners also debated whether an open commissioner portal and community meet-and-greets might deter strong candidates who are currently employed, a concern both firms had raised.

The formal action: a motion to hire Sumter Local Government Consulting carried 4-1. The record shows the commission approved Sumter as the selected search firm; commissioners directed staff to proceed with procurement and contract steps to engage Sumter.

The commission paused briefly for a recess after presentations and returned to make the selection the same day. Staff indicated they will notify both firms of the decision and proceed with contract execution and onboarding steps for the search firm.