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The Applications Are In: Five Apply To Be Century’s Town Manager
November 14, 2019
Five people have applied for the town manager position in Century, including the person currently working as the town’s gas supervisor.
The town started taking applications for the job back in mid-September, describing the ideal candidate as “qualified and highly motivated” and requiring a bachelor’s degree in public administration or a related field, plus five years of experience in local government administration of a senior management position.
Interim City Manager Buz Eddy, who did not apply, has expressed a belief that the town did not have more applicants because the city manager position is not specifically established by the town charter. Intead, the town used a provision that allows the council to create or establish departments as deemed necessary and the mayor to hire employees with the council’s approval.
Vernon Prather of Molino was one of the applicants. He began working for the town on a consulting basis as part of a package deal when now Eddy came on board in July.
The town has not yet taken action to hire a permanent city manager.
The applicants for Century Town Manager, in alphabetical order, are:
Timothy Day
Cape Coral, Florida
- Day Properties, property management 2017-present
- Town manager in Melbourne Beach 2015-2017
- Town manager in Greenville, FL, 2016
- Community Manager, Fort Myers 201
- Director, South West Florida Public Service Academy, Fort Myers 2002-2012
- Former or current property manager, community association manager
- BA degree Rhode Island College, AS degree in administration from Roger William University, certified police officer Rhode Island and Florida
Elmon Lee Garner
Chattahoochee, Florida
- Interim city manager, Palatka, FL, July 2019 to present
- City manager, Chattahoochee, FL, June 1997 to September 2018
- AA management, Georgia Military College
- BS management, Limestone College (SC)
- MPA public administration, Brenau University (GA)
Steve Neratko
East Dover, Vermont
- Director of community and economic development, Town of Dover, Vermont 2017-current
- Director City of Allentown (PA) planning and zoning, chief planner City of Allentown, 2015-2017
- City of Dunkirk (NY) director of planning and economic development 2012-2015
- Cayuga County planner Auburn, NY 2008-2011
- AS math and science, Jamestown (NY) Community College, BA political science SUNY Fredonia (NY).
Vernon Prather
Molino, Florida
- Assistant city manager, City of Gulf Breeze, FL 2017-2019
- Director of public services, City of Gulf Breeze, FL 2017
- Operations consultant, City Gulf Breeze 2016-2017
- Director of public services, City of Gulf Breeze 2006-2017
- Holds water and wastewater treatment plant operator certifications
- Appointed board member Santa Rosa Island Authority 2004-20012
- Operations of water, wastewater treatment plant certificates, Pensacola Junior College and California State University
- Certificate of Drafting Pensacola Junior College
- Molino Utilities board of director 2000-present
Tracie Watson
Brewton, Alabama
- GED instructor, Pensacola State College, August 2019-present
- Substitute teacher on-call, Brewton City Schools 2018-2019
- Staff Associate to director Office of Institutional Research 2017-2018
- Academic coordinator to department head, Florida A&M University, 2015-2016
- Administrative assistant, Leon County (FL) School Board, 2013-2015
- Volunteer, CERT trainer AmeriCorps VISTA 2012-2013
- Event manager, Global Trace Enterprises 2009-2012
- Administrative Assistant, Leon County (FL) School board, 2013-2015
- BS human resources management Faulkner University, Montgomery, AL
- Masters education personnel administrative University of West Florida
Editor’s note: Information for each candidate is a brief summary of experience and education taken from more complete resumes/applications. Work experience greater than 10 years ago was not highlighted.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Comments
16 Responses to “The Applications Are In: Five Apply To Be Century’s Town Manager”
It would be more useful to know what each candidate has actual experience doing instead of the Bull**** degrees and titles they claim.
Century would be better served by a local with good common sense, pride/love of the community and a board that has the same. Any other candidate is just looking to put a notch in their belt. If they’re a failure, they just leave it off their resume’ and walk away.
The pain.
You would have to be a brute for punishment or certifiably insane to want that position.
If you need drama in your life, it is much safer to watch General Hospital.
As far as I am concerned the city needs to hire someone who lives in Century and wants to progress Century in the right direction as city manager. All of these candidates who don’t live in Century or know anything about Century and the people who live here, should not even be considered for the position. We need a in town resident and not a out of town resident to do this job.
I originally applied for the position but turned it down.
The stipulation was pay was going to be through EBT cards and chickens.
If they would have thrown in about 100 scratch offs…I would have reconsidered
Hire the GED instructor. Perhaps she can give the current council some remedial training in Civics and Public Administration?
Suggestion: When you google their names to learn more about them, interesting information comes up on a few, that suggest that the Century town counsel needs to do the same, before a final decision is made! Don’t want a repeat of the same that’s already happening in Century, right? JMO
@Citizen “Probably a good ol boy” ?!?!?!? That’s what’s caused this mess!! smh
Prather = Gulf Breeze crony of Buzzsaw. Just my 2 cents opinion.
And i thought that was what a Mayor was suspose to do in a small town. Century is not a Metropolus.
Run as fast as you can !
We need need to stop hiring individuals outside of the area to make matters worse. We need to hire from the local area. The candidate for Molino has more experience working in Northwest, Florida area than all the other candidates. We need to stop measuring degrees over experience and focus on who will get the job done correctly and honest.
Citizen, I agree with you.
Prather is Buz’s buddy and from what I understand is already working with Buz for the town. Mark my words here, He’ll get the nod.
Really! Only 5. I thought they would be lined up around the block to get a ride on the Century Cash Cow.
HELP WANTED Apply immediately for the position of CAPTAIN OF A SINKING SHIP.
Experience and Qualifications are unimportant, but applicant must be willing to go down with the ship.
Quick breakdown:
Garner is the most experienced and stable candidate.
Neratko has adequate experience.
Prather has experience; education doesn’t support position, likely progressed through career as good ol’ boy .
Day is a job hopper – easily bored or poor employee?
Watson – not qualified; move on.
Vernon also knows about gas utility (from a quick search). Sounds good to me. Anything is better than what we did have.
Lives close. Probably a good ole boy and that may be helpful