Orange City to look at top 10 manager candidates

BEACON PHOTO/JEN HORTON
Interim City Manager — Formerly Orange City’s director of Development Services, Murray has been the interim city manager since former City Manager John McCue and the city parted ways in September 2008. Once a new city manager is in place, Murray will retire.

By Jen Horton
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Feb 8, 2010 - 8:54:38am

Orange City residents are invited to meet the candidates who want to manage their city. A reception is set for 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at Dickinson Memorial Library, 148 Albertus Way.

More than 150 candidates wanted to run Orange City. A consultant, Colin Berringer, narrowed the list to 10. At the City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9, council members will name their favorite five.

“Those five candidates will be presented to the public at the reception at the library,” Mayor Harley Strickland said.

On Saturday, Feb. 20, City Council members plan to conduct private one-on-one interviews with the five candidates. Those sessions will be in the Town Hall Annex at 201 N. Holly Ave.

The council will then have a group meeting, open to the public, at 1:30 p.m. with all five candidates, in City Council Chambers, also in the annex.

At a special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 1, the City Council will vote on the new city manager.

Following the vote, the mayor and city staff will negotiate a contract.

“Once we have an agreement, we bring it back for the council to vote on,” Strickland said.

Interim City Manager Chester Murray will be available as a consultant to the new city manager for the first 90 days.

Formerly Orange City’s director of Development Services, Murray has been the interim city manager since former City Manager John McCue and the city parted ways in September 2008.

Once a new city manager is in place, Murray will retire.

Strickland said Murray’s retirement was part of the plan when he was asked to serve as interim manager.

“He came in a caretaker capacity,” Strickland said.

Information about the Top 10 manager candidates is available at Orange City Town Hall and at the Orange City Web site, www.ci.orange-city.fl.us/.

— jen@beacononlinenews.com

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