The Palm Coast City Council this morning appointed Michael McGlothlin, a former city manager in Florida, North Carolina and Oregon who also spent a decade as a police chief, its next city manager. McGlothlin outlasted David Fraser, a candidate who built his career in the West.
The formal vote was 5-0, following a 3-2 vote by ballot, where Mayor Norris, Council members Charles Gambaro and Theresa Pontieri were in the majority, with Ty Miller and Dave Sullivan in the minority. Both dissenters had no objection to joining the majority for the formal vote to ensure unanimity.
“Regardless of who we choose, we’ll be choosing someone that will be great for Palm Coast moving forward,” Miller had said moments earlier. He credited the city’s human resources department for the groundwork it did.
“I agree with you,” Pontieri told Miller, “I think we’re really lucky that we came across two very, I think, genuine, hard workers who are qualified to do this job and that will do it well. I hope that we can get to 5-0 on this. I think we need to move forward, voting a great amount of confidence in whoever it is that we choose.” (A senior city administration official had put it this way previously: “I don’t get shyster vibes from either of them.”)
They then voted.
“So Mr. McGlothlin will be our new city manager if he accepts the contract,” Norris said.
“Humbled, honored and excited to be a part of the team and us joining the community,” McGlothlin said when reached by phone soon after the vote. He was referring to himself and his wife, Jessica, who had accompanied him to Palm Coast last week. He had been watching the council meeting, and his phone was now “blowing up,” he said.
No longer managing Redington Shores, McGlothlin said he was “ready and willing and committed to getting there as quickly as possible,” and suggested he would like to be in place before the New Year, but that the contract negotiations are next.
Pontieri suggested appointing Human Resources Director Renina Fuller and Acting City Manager Laure Johnston to negotiate the contract with McGlothlin. City Attorney Marcus Duffy cautioned the council about having Johnston, who will soon be reporting to McGlothlin, be part of the negotiating team. Johnston herself reminded the council in a previous hiring–when Matt Morton was hired in early 2019–the council appointed then-Council member Bob Cuff to negotiate the contract.
Norris then, without seeking his colleagues’ opinions, said he would negotiate it with Fuller. The unanimous vote encompassed Norris’s role as negotiator with Fuller.
“If you’re watching Mr. McGlothlin, congratulations, and we’ll be ready for you to hit the ground running when you get here, sir,” Norris said.
The brief segment took all of six minutes, ending a year and eight months since the city last had a permanent city manager in Denise Bevan, whom a different council unceremoniously fired in March 2024. Johnston was appointed interim. She had been the assistant city manager, a role she has long desired to return to. Council members repeatedly pressured her to take on the city manager job permanently. She repeatedly declined.
“We tried. I tried hard,” Sullivan said last week. “I said: this is it. Do you have any desire to stick with this job. She said no. She clearly would have been the top candidate for the job.”
While in the interim position, Johnston earned her master’s in emergency management, a field she is interested in pursuing, as, incidentally, her new boss did: he was also an emergency management director in his previous roles.
“She’s effectively served as the city manager of the second largest city from Daytona Beach to the Georgia line, responsible for 80 percent of the population of Flagler County,” Joe Saviak said of Johnston, one of his leadership academy’s alumni. “She’s kept the city government on track with operational excellence and sustaining an exceptional quality of life for residents. The future is especially bright for Palm Coast and we wish Mr. McGlothlin all the very best for continued success.”
If the negotiations are successful, McGlothlin will be Palm Coast’s seventh city manager in the city’s 26 years, including two interims, following Dick Kelton, Jim Landon, Beau Falgout, Matt Morton, Bevan and Johnston.
How long ? says
Was the home builders that run this circus consulted before this decision?
Did they approve and rubber stamp it ?
If not might as well start the next search for a replacement about now !
We all know who really runs the show here
JimboXYZ says
Exactly. when I read this part of the article, my meal came back up. Considering the way Alfin couped/fired Bevan ? Not that I intend to crap on Laurie Johnston on her way out, but this tastes like the end of a search is over & the next scapegoat is about to take the reigns. This is a 1-1.5 year position with a shorter honeymoon. It’s no different in Flagler Beach for Martin or his predecessor Whitson. Even Martin recently faced a substandard score for a performance appraisal. That City Manager position always takes the beating for Johnston (Suzie)/King or Alfin in Flagler townships/cities. Almost have to not take it personally for being fired over hurricanes & pier closure in Flagler Beach that was always on the table & someone had to get the axe of blame/shame ?
“The brief segment took all of six minutes, ending a year and eight months since the city last had a permanent city manager in Denise Bevan, whom a different council unceremoniously fired in March 2024. Johnston was appointed interim. She had been the assistant city manager, a role she has long desired to return to. Council members repeatedly pressured her to take on the city manager job permanently. She repeatedly declined.
“We tried. I tried hard,” Sullivan said last week. “I said: this is it. Do you have any desire to stick with this job. She said no. She clearly would have been the top candidate for the job.”
While in the interim position, Johnston earned her master’s in emergency management, a field she is interested in pursuing, as, incidentally, her new boss did: he was also an emergency management director in his previous roles.
“She’s effectively served as the city manager of the second largest city from Daytona Beach to the Georgia line, responsible for 80 percent of the population of Flagler County,” Joe Saviak said of Johnston, one of his leadership academy’s alumni. “She’s kept the city government on track with operational excellence and sustaining an exceptional quality of life for residents. The future is especially bright for Palm Coast and we wish Mr. McGlothlin all the very best for continued success.””
Anyway, we are where we are. They just have a new name & face to parade tax increases & whatever else to the taxpayers for what already was set in motion by the fiscal irresponsibility of Alfin. The Home Builder’s lawsuit ? a legacy of Alfin rubber stamping unfunded projects. This “executive search” seems to have been conducted without a 3rd party headhunter involved ? So everyone is going to be positive & gushing over the results. Maybe it’s more about relief for the next watch taking over for a game that’s pretty much been determined for outcomes ? For the taxpayer it’s the next blindside to fund something related that nobody wanted in the 1st place. Anyone else feel that we have an exceptional quality of life in Palm Coast over the last 5 years ? A new city manager isn’t going to make the same grossly under & unfunded issues any more pallatable.
Tammany Hall says
Finally, it’s good to see the board working 85.5 percent together. Typical reaction by Mayor Norris to be a no vote for VC Pontieri, I was hoping for something good from him. Ty Miller will make a great VC next year patience my friend.
Lauren Johnston; great job.
Rest up we still need you.
The new CM welcome!
Other that that wackado lady Candidate Duarte, calling us cannibals for drinking reuse water, things are getting better already.
FedUp says
What are the Vegas odds on how long he’ll last in that cesspool?
Mark Webb says
I find it interesting that the council voted 3 to 2, then voted again 5 to 0.
Really, that was not very fair to the other guy!
I agree that both are qualified .
Why vote twice?
Looks bad!
Thoughts?
FlaglerLive says
It’s not uncommon among local boards that want to project unanimity once past the deliberations. The School Board (a very different School Board than the catacombs we saw last night) did the same when it hired Cathy Mittelstadt in 2020: 3-1 in the first vote, then 4-0.
Sparks says
Welcome to Palm Coast. I’m embarrassed with our City Council and School Board. Taking so long to appoint an individual. It’s very disheartening they we pick Palm Coast to retire to. I wish I could move our home to Ormond Beach. I hope and pray you a part into this crazy stuff. Can you imagine trying to get rid of our Mayor Mike Norris who we voted for to be our Mayor. That’s the kind of people your dealing with.