By Gary S. Hatrick
The Zephyrhills City Council has offered the job of city manager to James Drumm of High Springs.
The council had interviews and a reception on Friday, May 6 with three finalists for the position.
The council ranked Drumm first, ahead of James Coleman of Lady Lake and Richard Reed of Auburndale.
Drumm had recently been the city manager of High Springs, near Gainesville, for 6.5 years and previously had served for 7.5 years as city manager in Lake Alfred, in Polk County.
“I have over 20 years of public management experience, with the majority of this time as a Florida city manager,” Drumm wrote in his application to the city. “I am a ‘hands on’ manager, however I do not micromanage and I do work with my department directors and management staff as a team … I have a great understanding of Florida municipal law and the many varied aspects of municipal government, from record archiving, budgeting, purchasing to excelling in program delivery in crucial areas such as emergency services and public works capital construction projects. I am available to the citizens, staff and elected officials.”
The city will now negotiate a contract with Drumm, said City Council president Jodi Wilkerson. City staff will determine an appropriate salary and city attorney Joe Poblick will look up contracts from other cities that have a four-fifths super majority for the removal of the city manager and compare them to the current city manager’s contract to come up with a contract to offer to Drumm once it is approved by city council.
Councilman Lance Smith thanked the rest of the council and city staff and all involved in the selection for a “smooth” process. Current manager Steve Spina is retiring.
