I have previously discussed the Florida Mayor from Hell in this newsletter. Whelp, he turned it up a notch. He has filed a defamation lawsuit against the town manager. Or should I say — soon-to-be former town manager — since they preparing to hand him his walking papers.
In Missouri, a not-so-bright government employee takes the “L” after he is arrested for stealing quarters from parking meters. He didn’t exactly make it hard to find him.
All that and more news after the job postings.
Job Board Postings
It is free to post all of your senior and executive level recruitments over at the AAME job board. If you would like to include them in this newsletter, select the $199 option.
City/County Manager Recruitments
Other
IL: Decatur - Director of Finance (4/5/2024) | in-house
IL: Village of St. Joseph - Public Works Director (Until Filled) | in-house
KS: Osage County - County Controller (4/14/2026) | Bird Dog Consulting
NM: Ruidoso - Economic Development Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
NM: Ruidoso - Finance Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
NM: Ruidoso - Water Resource Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Dumas - Finance Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Lufkin - City Engineer (3/30/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Marble Falls - Finance Director (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Odessa - Assistant City Attorney (5/10/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Odessa - Chief Financial Officer (5/8/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Weatherford - Assistant Director of Water Utilities (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Wichita Falls - Chief Building Official (4/29/2026) | Clear Career
FL: Pembroke Park Mayor Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Town Manager
The Pembroke Park saga reached a crescendo of sorts last week. I will try and give you the Cliff’s Notes version.
For years, a councilman and now mayor by the name of Geoffrey Jacobs has acted like a complete ass during meetings.
He has called their now former town manager David Lynch and a charlatan and a fraud.
A few months back, somebody tipped off authorities suggesting that Jacobs did not reside in Pembroke Park. He claimed a homestead tax exemption on a property many miles away and apparently his family lives elsewhere. He blamed Lynch for this, but the town manager said he had nothing to do with it.
The mayor called the town manager. Lynch communicated what he felt was a threat on his life by the mayor to authorities. The City Council moved to remove the mayor from office, but a court ruled in favor of Jacobs.
A local media outlet somehow got word of a bizarre loan that was given to one of the councilmembers where essentially he was loaned an advance against roughly one year of his elected official salary, or around $65,000 interest free. Lynch says he was following longstanding policy that was set before he arrived.
It appears that some of the electeds who may have supported him previously defected over this issue. Because he has recently been notified that they will be firing him.
But before that official move was made, Jacobs filed a $1 million lawsuit against Lynch claiming that he was defamed.
MO: Thank God for Dumb Criminals Who Make It Easy to Catch Them
Columbia’s parking manager was arrested after police received a tip that someone in a Public Works uniform was converting a lot of coins into paper money at a local business.
This person stole thousands of dollars — um…er…allegedly — and decided to cash out in the local area while wearing his work uniform. What is a little more troubling is that he was previously arrested and convicted on stealing from parking meters while working for another organization and he still presumably passed a background check.
News Around the Country
CA: A sit-down with Pacifica’s new city manager, Sean Charpentier
CA: 4 takeaways from Sacramento Bee Editorial Board Q&A with Mayor Kevin McCarty and City Manager Maraskeshia Smith
FL: Polk County manager tells commissioners his last day will be Jan. 15
GA: State legislature tables resolution for county manager in Augusta, pausing the process till 2027
IL: Lakewood’s village manager will retire this summer after serving in the position for five years
IN: Cedar Lake hires local businessman and 50-year resident with experience serving on the zoning board to be their next town manager
KS: As Riley County officials map out the budget framework for a new county administrator position, questions swirl over how to account for such reorganization in the 2027 budget cycle
MA: Williamsburg taps former North Adams mayor as town administrator
MI: Reese village leaders say Police Chief Gary “Mike” Hadd has been serving as interim village manager, too – for no extra pay
MO: Webster Groves awarded departing City Manager Marie Peoples a severance package worth more than $138,123 in pay and benefits even though the paper claims it was not required per her contract; another article combines deferred retirement benefits and suggests severance topped $225,000
MN: HCMC administrator resigned over ‘micromanagement’ by Hennepin County commissioners
NC: ‘In the dark’: Chadbourn operating without manager, attorney after council fails to meet in March and does not appoint an interim
OH: Chris Kiehl brings lifetime of service to Carrollton village administrator role
OH: After 50 years of public service, the City of Englewood's long-serving City Manager Eric A. Smith has officially retired
PA: Franklin County Administrator Carrie Gray received the Cumberland Valley Business Alliance's ATHENA Leadership Award at their annual awards breakfast
TX: Dallas Assistant City Manager Donzell Gipson, whose team oversaw City Hall renovation cost estimates, announces retirement
TX: Lake Dallas residents criticize city's response to natural gas leak that caused house explosion
VA: Falls Church leaders seek smooth transition to next city manager; hoping to have a new city manager ready to go just when their current one retires in just over five months
VA: Gloucester County board ends county administrator's contract
WA: Thurston County prosecutor declines to file charges against Clark County manager, council after investigating open meeting complaint filed by activist
Contracts & Compensation
OH: Walbridge council members approved the hiring of Dave Shaffer as the village’s new administrator and maintenance supervisor with salary of $48,000; village previously had a part-time administrator
Recent City Manager Unfiltered Podcast Episodes
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