One of my favorite stories to read is when a finalist walks away from the negotiating table. Not because I want a city or county to fail to find a candidate nor do I want candidates to go through the emotional roller coaster of a job search only to walk away when the finish line is in site.
I just firmly believe that far too high of a percentage of contract negotiations are consummated because city and county executives fail to bargain hard at the table and do not get full value for their services. A healthier marketplace would have far more deals fall apart as each side fights for fair value.
This week two cities are going back to the drawing board in search of a candidate.
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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
FL: Montverde - Town Manager (7/3/2026) | Colin Baenziger
FL: Orange Park - Town Manager (7/17/2026) Colin Baenziger
MO: Clinton - City Administrator (7/24/2026) Interim Solutions
TX: Caldwell - City Administrator (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Denison - City Manager (7/17/2026) | Clear Career
TX: La Marque - City Manager (6/26/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Los Fresnos - City Manager (6/19/2026) | Clear Career
Other
NC: Multiple candidates turn down Kinston city manager job
A Kinston city spokeswoman confirms that multiple candidates for the job have come to Kinston to interview for the city manager job, but they have turned it down. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking as the interim city manager is set to depart at the end of July.
The City’s position seems to be that they met the demands of the candidates when it came to contract negotiations, but they balked after families visited the community.
Interim City Manager Ralph Clark communicated what I have been saying for years and what all of you should know by now — the market is tight!
“There’s a real shortage of people in this field,” Clark said. “With the scarcity of applicants and, you know, the quality that you’re getting, it’s not an easy chore.”
NC: Charlotte staff pauses data center focus group after City Council kept in the dark
Come on, man!
You have to be living under a rock to not understand how sensitive the data center issue is politically for your local elected officials.
It is professional malpractice at this point to not be thinking about any and every angle in which the data center conversation can hurt you, your staff, or your elected officials.
Charlotte is suspending a data center focus group following criticism that its work was rushed and lacked transparency.
Oregon’s Youngest City Manager Takes Over in Clatskanie
N.J. Johnson was not even 10 years old when Greg Hinkelman took the job as Clatskanie’s city manager 18 years ago.
Prior to his current position, Johnson worked for the City of Scappoose for four and a half years. During that time, he went from intern to assistant to city manager/city planner, working on such areas as land-use planning, human resources, budgeting and finance, and economic development.
FL: Fort Lauderdale city manager leaves job after just over a year
The turbulent ride in Fort Lauderdale has come to a halt after Rickelle Williams resigned her city manager post just 14 months into her tenure. Documented previously in the newsletter, Williams seemingly received mixed signals in the articles I read before ultimately getting cast aside by the governing body.
Williams is the first black woman to serve as their city manager and was the fifth person to hold the position in seven years.
News Around the Country
AZ: Miranda Fisher resigns as Camp Verde's town manager
AZ: Former Scottsdale City Manager Jim Thompson has joined the Phoenix-based Sustainability Engineering Group as president and chief growth officer (PAYWALL)
CA: Residents urge ethics reforms after grand jury report on Stockton council and failure to pursue criminal charges against former interim city manager
IA: Sheldon will review city manager job description before launching recruitment to replace Sam Kooiker
IL: A routine meeting of the Freeport City Council ended abruptly after a heated dispute over parliamentary procedure escalated into shouting, removals from the council chambers, and an early adjournment
LA: Lake Charles City Council and staff address recent shoving altercation at City Hall
MA: Hubbardston restarts search for town administrator after pick withdraws
NC: Kannapolis assistant city manager announces retirement
NH: Dover City Manager J. Michael Joyal Jr. has announced that he intends to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2026
OH: Brunswick taps its own council president as next city manager
OR: Gold Beach appointed Brent Carver as its new city administrator
TX: Kirby councilmember removed from meeting by police after questioning city officials
TX: Taylor city manager apologizes for timing of data center petition announcement
TX: Texas Rangers investigating City of Trinidad after water issues, controversial arrests, firings
WI: La Crosse is once again entertaining the idea of creating a city administrator position
WI: Patrick Reagan, Rhinelander’s city administrator for the last 3 1/2 years, is set to leave his position in August to take a city manager post in Michigan
WY: Gillette city councilmember proposes transparency and accountability measures regarding council travel expenses
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