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Tallahassee moves ahead with city manager search; consultant says September finalist timeline stands
Summary
The City Commission approved moving forward with Norlock & Associates to recruit the next city manager and adopted a timeline targeting selection in September amid debate over whether to wait until after local elections and whether a master’s degree should be required.
The Tallahassee City Commission on June 10 authorized consultant Norlock & Associates to complete the search for a new city manager and adopted a timeline that would aim for a negotiation and appointment in September.
Renee Norlock, who presented the recruitment plan, said the firm will develop a candidate profile, run national outreach and screening, conduct background and reference checks and provide a marketing brochure to encourage applicants. Norlock told commissioners she will meet individually with each commissioner in coming weeks to craft the “ideal candidate” profile and then begin active outreach and advertising.
The consultant said the standard timeline would get the process to a September appointment but noted an alternative pathway could push the process into fall to accommodate newly seated commissioners. Commissioners debated that trade‑off; some members argued candidates prefer to know the commission they will work for and urged waiting until after the election, while others said delaying risks losing strong candidates.
Commissioner Matlo proposed changing the minimum qualifications to require a master’s degree; Norlock and other commissioners noted that the recruitment ad currently lists a master’s degree as preferred rather than required and that many potential candidates already hold advanced degrees. The commission voted 3‑2 to proceed with the September timeline and keep the master’s degree listed as preferred.
Public commenter Ernie Payne urged the commission to delay finalists until after the August primary so finalists could meet new or incoming commissioners. The commission did not adopt that delay.
Next steps: Norlock said the firm will send its questions to each commissioner in advance of one‑on‑one sessions, finalize the candidate brochure based on commissioners’ feedback, and then launch broader recruitment and screening.
