Palatka commissioners reject motion to allow interim city manager to be considered for permanent post

The Palatka City Commission on May 21 debated whether to reopen the hiring rules so the person named interim city manager could also be considered for the permanent city manager position, then rejected the proposal in a roll-call vote.

Commissioner Campbell opened the discussion by asking the commission to "reconsider the previous motion that would prevent the interim city manager being considered for the permanent position," arguing an interim who can "right the ship" should be eligible. Commissioner Jones backed the idea, saying the applicant pool contained "strong candidates" and that an interim who proved able should not be automatically excluded.

City Attorney West and Commissioner Davis warned of legal and procedural risks to altering the advertised terms mid-process and urged caution. The city attorney noted the original posting described the role as interim and that changing eligibility after applications were received could deter applicants or create appearance-of-fairness problems. Commissioner Davis said any commissioner who voted in favor of the prior motion retains the narrow right to move for reconsideration but that safeguards would be needed to avoid unfair advantage.

Commissioner Kevin moved to allow the interim to apply for the permanent job; the motion failed on a tie in a recorded roll call (Commissioner Davis: no; Mayor Carrera: nay; Commissioner Jones: yea; Commissioner Campbell: yea), which left the original terms in place and the interview process to proceed under the interim-only notice.

The commissioners framed the decision as balancing two priorities: avoiding the appearance of altering the applicant pool after advertising and preserving the commission's authority to hire. Following the vote the commission continued with scheduled interviews for the interim position.