FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – The four finalists for Flagler Beach City Manager will be attending a meet-and-greet with the public next week, on Thursday, July 13th. The event will mark the public’s best chance to get to know the applicants and form an informed opinion before the City Commission votes the following day.
The meet-and-greet will take place next Thursday at 5:30 pm, at City Hall (105 South 2nd St). Members of the public are invited to attend.
The City Commission will take up the decision to appoint their permanent new City Manager the following day at their special July 14th meeting. Whoever is selected will succeed the recently fired William Whitson, and current interim City Manager Mike Abels.
The four finalists are as follows:
- James Gleason
- Dale Martin
- Todd Michaels
- David Williams
A fifth applicant, Howard Brown, had also gone through the application process and been selected as a finalist before ultimately removing his name from consideration, according to Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston.
I’m not understanding this process. Why have a meet and greet with the public when the public doesn’t get to vote on who they think is best for the job. The city commissioners will vote the next day. Seems like a waste of time to have the meet and greet first and the very next day elect someone for the position. Maybe they should have a meet and greet a few weeks ago and let the public express their opinions to the commissioners before they vote. Now it seems it doesn’t matter what the public thinks of any candidate, the commissioners are the final say based on their opinions.