Tallahassee city Commissioners will hold their annual retreat this week. Items listed on the agenda include the extension of FAMU-Way, public safety and replacing the city manager.
Deputy City Manager Reese Goad has been filling in as interim manager since Rick Fernandez took leave following accusations he accepted tickets to a football game and a discount on the catering at his daughter’s wedding. Fernandez has since agreed to resign and now commissioners are looking into how to fill the position. Mayor Andrew Gillum says while he feels Goad has done the job well, he’s not sure he should stay in the spot while the commission searches for a new permanent manager.
“But it’s my hope that he will apply and pursue the position of city manager and I think that in order for us to get the wide array and diversity of candidates that we want to see in a city manager that we don’t want to send the signal that this is an inside job,” Gillum says.
Gillum worries keeping Goad as interim city manager during the search may deter other candidates from applying for the job. During their retreat Wednesday commissioners are expected to discuss how to conduct their search and who will fill the interim role.
