City Manager Finalists To Meet With Clearwater Residents Sept. 1

CLEARWATER, FL — Clearwater residents will have a chance to size up the finalists for city manager during a forum Wednesday, Sept. 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 111 McMullen Booth Road.

The community forum will follow a day of individual interviews conducted by the mayor and city council and a meet-and-greet with city administrators.

On Thursday, Sept. 2, the council will conduct a meeting at 1 p.m.to discuss the candidates and select the new city manager. This session will be open to the public, televised on C-View TV and streamed online and on city social media channels.

The city council launched a nationwide search for a new city manager this summer following City Manager Bill Horne's retirement announcement.

Prior to his official retirement Sept. 3, Horne died suddenly of a heart attack on Aug. 14.

Assistant City Manager Micah Maxwell was appointed interim city manager until a new city manager was hired.

Next week's city manager interviews will be the city's second attempt to find someone to replace Horne, who served as city manager for more than two decades.

In March, the city hired the headhunter firm of Baker Tilly for $26,500 to conduct a nationwide search, receiving 91 applications for the post. The council narrowed the list from 10 to five finalists on May 24. However, after three of the finalists withdrew, the council decided to start the search again from scratch in June.

The council has now narrowed the second list of finalists to four candidates:

Milton Dohoney Jr., former assistant city manager of Phoenix, Arizona, brings more than 30 years of municipal management experience. Prior to Phoenix, Dohoney served as city manager of Cincinnati, Ohio, for eight years, coordinating the efforts of more than 6,000 employees. Other key appointments include chief administrative officer of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government in Kentucky, Deputy Mayor for the city of Louisville, Kentucky and director of public safety for Louisville.

Charles Duggan Jr., city manager of Redlands, California, is a graduate of Dunedin High School. He's served as Redland's city manager since 2020 and previously served as city manager for Auburn, Alabama, for 11 years.

Jon Jennings has served as city manager of Portland, Maine, since 2015, managing a staff of 1,300 and a $292 million annual operating budget. He comes to public administration from the private sector, including serving as part-owner of the NBA Development League Maine Red Claws. He also served as a senior adviser for the Clinton administration.

Keith Moffett is county manager of Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, where he manages a staff of 1,800 employees and a $560 million budget. Prior to his appointment in 2018, he served as the county administrator for Butts County, Georgia.

Read more about the candidates here.

The candidates will arrive in Clearwater on Aug. 31 and participate in one-on-one interviews with city council members on Sept. 1.

The next city manager will be expected to address several issues during the first 12 months on the job including the continued use of the Penny for Pinellas local option sales tax and implementing the city council’s funding priorities as a part of the 10-year levy.

Priorities include enhancing the downtown waterfront and implementing Imagine Clearwater; completing upgrades to the BayCare Ballpark spring training stadium; pursuing the next steps required to replace city hall offices; continued enhancements and improvements to the city’s utilities and other infrastructure; replacement of the city’s public safety buildings; and continuing to work on revitalizing downtown Clearwater.

The salary for the city manager ranges from $210,000 to $270,000, and includes 100 percent paid health care, dental, life and disability insurance coverage and a $600 a month vehicle allowance.

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