Top Winter Springs City Manager candidate withdraws 

The top-ranked candidate for the job of Winter Springs city manager has withdrawn from the application process after a heated two-hour meeting, citing “concerns” after the questioning by two commissioners turned contentious. Now only one candidate remains and Winter Springs’ mayor said he’s facing his “worst fear” after the meeting. 

Winter Springs on Monday extended an offer to the top two candidates for city manager to come for in-person interviews. Ultimately, four commissioners voted in favor of bringing the top two candidates: Dale “Doc” Dougherty, city manager of Garden City, Michigan, and Christopher R. Miller, county administrator of King George County, Virginia.

But after listening to Monday’s meeting, Dougherty, the top candidate based on a scoring of applicants, withdrew his name. 

“I want to be clear that my decision has nothing to do with you and Korn Ferry Inc (the city’s consultant), but is solely based on the statements made by two members of the City Commission and their lack of support for me and the process,” Dougherty wrote in an email to Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann and obtained by Oviedo Community News. 

The position’s hiring comes at a crucial time. The Commission has to reschedule a Nov. 13 meeting because the mayor, Resnick and some members of city staff will have to be in Tallahassee testifying before the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee about the state’s audit on the city. 

The city passed an anti-fraud policy in response to an audit released last month, but more changes could be coming. “This city is in dire, dire need of a strong leader,” McCann said. 

At Monday’s meeting, two commissioners objected to the process. Commissioner Cade Resnick said he saw red flags with Dougherty: specifically, that Dougherty would bring employees together after a month and communicate his vision going forward.

“When he said I do this in 30 days and then everyone falls in line,” Resnick said. “I’ve worked for a person like that, two people like that. And one of them is the reason I no longer teach.”

Later, Resnick voted against the motion. “You’ve heard from staff how toxic the environment is here,” Resnick said. “I shared my concern with the people. We are the body that creates the vision (for Winter Springs). If it’s the wrong person, people will leave.”

The mayor fired back: “With all due respect, this dais is failing our residents.”

In his letter withdrawing, Dougherty cited Resnick’s comments without naming him directly. 

“Unfortunately, by making an uninformed and misguided assessment of my management style and leadership approach, one of your Commissioners stated that he could not vote for me,” Dougherty wrote. “Since he oddly seemed to become more adverse toward my candidacy as the meeting continued, I don’t believe there is anything I could do or say to change his preconceived opinion.”

Other comments flagged

He also referenced comments from Commissioner Victoria Colangelo. 

“The other Commissioner, in an attempt to degrade the Korn Ferry search firm, actually referred to me and the other candidates as ‘sub-par,’” Dougherty wrote. “In a review of these two positions, I don’t believe the opportunity is there to be successfully chosen by a super-majority of the Commission, let alone receive the support of the whole Commission to successfully manage the City of Winter Springs.”

Attempts to reach Resnick and Colangelo were not immediately successful. 

But during Monday’s meeting, Colangelo questioned the candidates brought in by the city’s consultant Korn Ferry Inc. Audra Cross, a senior consultant with Korn Ferry Inc, told commissioners there were 200 applicants, which they narrowed down to the top five that commissioners interviewed over Zoom two weeks ago. 

Colangelo wanted to bring in the top two candidates – and allow the city to advertise the position for a possible third, as-yet unknown candidate.

“I feel this position was not marketed correctly,” Colangelo said. When she began talking about former city staff who hired the consultant Korn Ferry Inc, Mayor Kevin McCann stepped in.

“Let’s move on and leave these people alone,” McCann said, raising his voice. “Stop. Seriously. … We are embarrassing ourselves. Stop rehashing old stuff. We are arguing about people who aren’t here, decisions made months ago. This is embarrassing.”

In a moment that ultimately proved true, McCann openly worried that the conversation would scare off the candidates. 

“I’m listening to my worst fear,” McCann said Monday. “This conversation is scaring off two highly qualified candidates that, I assure you, we have five (candidates) listening right now. We also have residents. And media.” 

In an interview with Oviedo Community News afterward, McCann described the meeting as “the most difficult meeting I’ve ever been involved with.” Before Dougherty officially withdrew, McCann said he was worried that one of the top candidates might drop out after listening to the meeting.

“Yeah,” McCann said. “I am more concerned that we’re not going to ever find someone, to be honest with you. I fear — and I don’t know this to be true — I fear commissioners have a person in mind (for manager).”

Speaking with Oviedo Community News Wednesday, Dougherty said that when he started listening to the meeting Monday, he was excited about the position and happy to be in first place. Then he started to have concerns. But by the end of the meeting, he felt there was no way for him to move forward. 

While on the phone, his current mayor came in. Dougherty said his mayor knew he was up for the top job in Winter springs. 

“When I told him I withdrew, he said, ‘Great for us. Stay as long as you want,’” Dougherty said. 

Next steps

Going forward, McCann said he isn’t sure what will happen next. But the second candidate, Miller, has agreed to come for in-person interviews. McCann said he’s leaning toward having the city vote on Miller alone without adding more candidates.

During Miller’s interview with commissioners, he described his leadership style as not being “top down.”

“It’s not driven all from the top down and you will do your job,” Miller said. “That stuff is over. Employees have a lot of opportunities to move on. They want to be able to feel they are being respected and trusted and empowered to do their jobs.”

In response to a question from Oviedo Community News about his message to city staff in light of turmoil and turnover in the city:

“If I were selected as Winter Springs next City Manager, I look forward to serving both the mayor and Commission and city staff and to learning from them and assisting them in their continued service to the community,” Miller wrote. “I am confident I could provide steady, seasoned, innovative, highly facilitative and consensus-oriented management and leadership service to the community.”

The dates suggested for an in-person interview are Nov. 20, Nov. 30 or Dec. 1.