The first two of six city manager candidates were interviewed by the City Commission Thursday afternoon in a public meeting at City Hall.
Bob Middaugh, assistant county administrator for Loudoun County, Virginia was first up, followed by Boca Raton’s management services director, Jamie Croteau, who is also the only woman in the running for the city administration’s top post. The interviews featured PowerPoint presentations of each candidates first-year plans and questions from commissioners.
Both candidates highlighted communication as keys to first-year success, as well as using the city’s budget to identify priorities and both come with decades of governmental experience.
Middaugh presented a quiet and calm demeanor, maintaining a steadily soft voice that showed confidence and backed up his claim that he doesn’t get overwhelmed and “you get to choose what you worry about, you get to choose what you stress about. I choose wisely.”
Middaugh said he would place focus on execution of Plant City’s comprehensive master plan beyond the conceptual outlines that currently exists to ensure the city meets its goals.
“What I haven’t seen is a framework to get from here to those desired outcomes. What do you have to do in what priority to ensure that you get to those desired outcomes?” Middaugh said. “You have so much stuff in your comprehensive plan. You’ve got to figure out what’s first, what’s most important. What’s your priority and where do you direct your resources, so that you have that conscious plan to annually work towards those outcomes.”
Croteau brought more kineticism to the podium, conveying a palpable passion she said
makes her a workaholic of sorts. The excitement was noticed by the dais.
“The passion for what you do is very obvious,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “I know you’re not going to go home until everything is done properly.”
While both candidates emphasized transparency and communication as priorities, Croteau said it was an immediate reform she made as Orange City’s city manager. When she took the position, she said she immediately hired a communications officer to reach the community through various mediums. However, she said communication and trust filters through every interaction with city employees and is important to encourage more civic engagement.
“It goes down to the person that drives the garbage truck. For a lot of people, that’s the interaction they have with the city,” she said. “The more you try to communicate, some of those people that are on the edges, they actually come out to be supportive of the city.”
Commissioners will interview the four remaining candidates beginning at 8 a.m. in the commission chambers at City Hall. They are then expected to discuss the candidates and vote to hire one during a 5 p.m. special meeting on Monday.