Fernandina Beach names Sarah Campbell city manager; Lee Smith named backup

The Fernandina Beach City Commission voted to hire Sarah Campbell as its next city manager after a session of finalist interviews and public comment. Commissioners debated priorities including Florida public‑sector experience, coastal city and capital‑project credentials, and community concerns about a proposed bioethanol project.

Campbell, who identified herself during her interview as having 16 years of local‑government experience in Florida, told the commission she focuses on process, strategic planning and building administrative trust. She said her administration previously stood up a stormwater program that secured more than $11,000,000 in grant funding. “We tracked those quarterly and I report back to my elected body,” Campbell said when describing implementation and accountability for strategic goals.

An earlier motion to hire Lee Smith failed on a roll call. The commission then passed a motion to appoint Sarah Campbell; the clerk recorded roll‑call votes during the meeting. After hiring Campbell the commission voted 4–1 to name Lee Smith as the official second choice so staff can begin negotiations with him if talks with the first‑choice candidate do not result in an agreement. City legal and HR staff advised that naming a backup candidate would allow staff to move quickly if contract negotiations failed.

Public comment at the meeting raised two recurring concerns: one, that some finalists lacked direct Florida public‑sector experience and therefore might be less familiar with state‑specific processes such as collective‑bargaining and recent wastewater rules; and two, that residents wanted assurance the city would adhere to an outside legal opinion that a proposed bioethanol facility would be prohibited under the land‑development code. The commission heard those points during the public‑comment period before moving to its discussion and votes.