Havana resident selected as new town manager

Last Friday, the Havana Town Council selected its new town manager.

By Thursday, the council had narrowed their choices down to four candidates after receiving over 20 applications to the job posted by the Florida League of Cities on behalf of the town.

The decision was made after hours of back-to-back interviews on Friday with the final four.

Jim Hinson and George Forbes with the Florida League of Cities assisted in the hiring process; Forbes said they created a survey and met with the town’s department heads and the council to determine what kind of city manager Havana needs.

They then wrote the interview questions and sat-in on the interviews to score the candidates according to their answers.

Kendrah Wilkerson

But that’s where their assistance ended.

“We don’t make any final decisions,” Forbes said.

The scores didn’t determine the council’s final pick.

The council members also had to consider how well the new manager would fit in with the community and if he or she would be with Havana for the long haul.

The town’s charter only allows for the council to hire a town manager that is a resident of Havana.

However, the council allowed others to apply due to the town’s lack of housing and the small pool of candidates.

By the end of the interviews, the town council members were torn between two candidates – Kendrah Wilkerson and Jarrod Lawrence.

Councilman Nick Bert leaned more towards choosing Lawrence.

“I was impressed by Lawrence’s personality,” Bert said. “He’s got a lot of experience.”

Councilman Dwight Vickers, on the other hand, said he preferred Wilkerson.

“Lawrence is bright, but I want to keep it local, and Kendrah has been with Leon County Sheriff’s Office since 2008, so that speaks for itself,” Vickers said.

Vickers also said he was concerned about Lawrence’s work history.

“The bad is never spoken of,” Vickers said.

Vickers mentioned that Lawrence had worked for eight different counties, and four different cities before applying to work with Havana.

“My question is, why?” Vickers wondered.

Vickers said he was also worried about other candidates staying with the Town of Havana.

“I like that Kendrah lives here,” Vickers expressed. “I don’t think she’s going anywhere.”

Mayor Janice Hart said it was unfortunate that Vickers judged Lawrence - who scored the highest out of the final four - by the number of jobs he’s had in the past.

She said that could have been a follow-up question during his interview.

Councilwoman Jennifer Stone said she liked every single one of the candidates for different reasons.

Stone said Barry Brookes, who had the second highest score of 529, was the most government oriented. She said Wilkerson, who’s score of 522, was more finance oriented. Stone said Lawrence, who had a score of 568, was the most well-rounded, and she liked his demeanor

The council members were wary about selecting the fourth candidate, Adam Rabe, who would have to uproot his family to move from Iowa to Havana.

With him not having ties to the area, they said they were not sure of how long he would stay.

Stone said while she thought Lawrence might be more qualified, she was worried about him staying long-term as well.

“If Jason [Lawrence] comes in and does a good job with us and gets a higher offer, he might leave,” Stone noted.

Although Wilkerson doesn’t have as much experience as Lawrence, Hart and Stone agreed that the areas Wilkerson lacks in, could be learned.

Stone said she was concerned that Wilkerson may become overwhelmed with the job and go back to Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Hart said all four candidates had training or job experience that the council was looking for in a city manager.

“We need someone in our town that’s perfect for Havana,” Hart added.

Hart said Wilkerson has already established a life in Havana, and she has experience with finance in addition to relationships with the people in Havana.

Councilman Eddie Bass said he also liked that Wilkerson was already a Havana resident.

“She truly has a heart for Havana,” Bass said.

Bass then touched on his thoughts of Lawrence.

“Jason has skipped around, but everywhere he’s gone his salary is better,” Bass said. “I don’t want to be going through this 2-3 years from now.”

Most of the council members said Brooke’s was also too honest, and may ruffle the feathers of some citizens.

Hart suggested selecting one person, with a potential back-up if the first declined.

A motion was made to select Lawrence as the top candidate, with Wilkerson as a back-up.

The vote was 3-3, causing the motion to fail; Bass, Vickers and Stone provided the dissenting votes.

Council member Decorkus Allen, who would have broken the tie in either direction, was not in attendance.

The council then voted 5-1 to offer the position to Wilkerson, with Lawrence as a back-up.

Councilwoman Warkeen Jordan was the lone dissenting voter.

Wilkerson’s expected salary is $99,840.

The council will vote on the final terms of her contract during a meeting on May 3.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Havana resident selected as new town manager

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Midway police chief resigns

Chattahoochee holds meet-and-greet for police chief, praising his involvement in the community

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