Winter Springs’ new city manager vote fails as some decry “sabotage”

Winter Springs will endure yet another round of votes and possibly another costly city manager candidate-search after two commissioners voted down the top-ranked remaining candidate Monday night for reasons seemingly unrelated to his resume or qualifications. 

“I’m going to say it publicly and say it loudly: This is an effort to put this off until after the next election so that someone else can be brought in,” Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann said, indicating that he believed political factions in the city were intentionally slowing the city manager hiring process, which had already cost the city $70,000.  

Before the discussion of city manager finalist Christopher Miller began at Monday’s City Commission meeting, Deputy Mayor Rob Elliott reminded the Commission that the city charter stated that “the city manager shall be appointed solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications,” he read. He later indicated that Commissioners who failed to vote based on those criteria were potentially in violation of the city charter.  

Kicking off the discussion, Commissioner Victoria Bruce, formerly Victoria Colangelo, said that she wanted the city manager search process to be started over due to it being “unprofessional,” accusing recruitment firm Korn Ferry of “not listening to the Commission’s wants and requirements,” though she did not specify what those were. She then suggested the city advertise the position on Indeed.com. 

Commissioner Cade Resnick said he had “never been comfortable” with the top two candidates for the city, though he did not cite any reasons related to their resumes or experience. The top two candidates had scored numerically the highest on an objective evaluation of their qualifications. 

The former top candidate, Dale “Doc” Dougherty from Garden City, Michigan, had cited contentious remarks from Resnick as one of his reasons for withdrawing from the candidate hiring process in late October. 

“Both of these gentlemen made the final list for Seminole County Manager,” McCann said. 

At that point Commissioner Ted Johnson, appearing to be frustrated by Bruce’s and Resnick’s objections to the Commission’s top-ranked remaining candidate, reminded them that the Commission had voted unanimously to hire Korn Ferry to conduct the city manager recruitment process. 

“Korn Ferry was one of the highest-rated headhunters in the country, according to Forbes Magazine,” Commissioner Matt Benton added. “I think they were listed as No. 1.” 

“[Miller] has more qualifications on his resume than the past three city managers had on any of their resumes,” Johnson said. “He has more credentials than they do, and now we’re sitting here saying we can’t move forward. I’m sorry, but that’s sabotage.”

After Resnick tried to clarify why he was uncomfortable with the top two candidates from early on, McCann, appearing frustrated with possibly losing another candidate for unclear reasons, lashed out at Resnick. 

“Let me go on the record: You’re full of crap,” McCann said. He quickly apologized to Resnick for the remark. 

“You’re frustrated,” Resnick said. “I hear you.”

The vote put forth by Johnson to hire Miller, which required four affirmative votes to pass, failed 3-2, with Bruce and Resnick casting the deciding votes. 

Three finalists remain from a ranked group of objectively scored candidates. The discussion ended quickly after the failed vote, but the Commission could extend invitations to conduct in-person interviews with more candidates. So far the city has only interviewed the top two in person.