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Melbourne Beach commission votes to post town manager opening, solicit search firms
Summary
The Melbourne Beach Town Commission voted June 2 to post the town manager position, seek proposals from executive-search firms or obtain estimates from qualified firms, and run a roughly 20-day solicitation once posted. Staff will draft and post the materials by midweek.
The Melbourne Beach Town Commission voted June 2 to authorize staff to post the town manager position and solicit executive-search firms or estimates to assist with the hiring process.
The decision follows discussion of four options laid out in a search guide provided to the commission and a push from at least one commissioner to initiate an open hiring process. Town Attorney Ryan Knight walked commissioners through the four approaches in the guide, including an internal search, retaining an executive search firm, using the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) senior-advisor program and a hybrid model.
Why it matters: the commission directed staff to begin the public recruitment process and to pursue outside assistance as needed to ensure a competitive search for the town manager role. The commission also discussed timelines and budgetary thresholds that determine whether a formal RFP is required.
In the meeting, Ryan Knight summarized typical search costs and the services firms provide, saying an executive search firm “in my experience… has typically ranged from 20 to $30,000.” Knight also noted the FCCMA senior-advisor option, which pairs volunteer senior managers with local staff for advisory support. Knight said that some municipalities use smaller, partial engagements instead of full $20,000-plus contracts.
Public commenters urged transparency in the hiring process. Mark Flathart asked commissioners whether they were “all in agreement that you want to post the job,” and Steve Walters asked that a salary range be included in any solicitation and that the public be permitted to observe interviews in some fashion.
Commissioners agreed the current town manager could apply and that staff would prepare the posting and solicitation language. The commission directed staff to post the materials quickly; staff said they would aim to have the posting ready by Wednesday or, at the latest, Thursday (June 4), and that the solicitation period would run 20 days once posted. Staff noted placements in the newspaper require a minimum two-day lead time.
The motion to post the position and begin the solicitation passed unanimously. Mayor Lisonbee Dennington stated, “It carries 5‑0.”
The commission asked staff to circulate the draft posting to commissioners before it goes live and to confirm posting and publication dates. The clerk and deputy clerk will host the posting and place the advertisement in the newspaper once the posting is final.
