The City of Monticello has authorized the Florida Association of City and County Managers to begin recruiting candidates for a new city manager. It follows former City Manager Kirt Mackiewicz's arrest last month on child pornography charges.
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City leaders authorized the recruitment effort during last week's city council meeting, marking the official start of the search process.
Interim City Manager Steve Wingate returned to his former role about 3 weeks ago. He says his focus is on keeping city operations on track while the search moves forward.
"We're just keeping the day-to-day operations of the city going — all the grants, paving projects, water main replacement projects, things like that," Wingate said.
Wingate, who has held the interim role multiple times over the years, says he stepped back in to help ensure continuity during the transition. In addition to ongoing infrastructure work, the city is also preparing for major upcoming events, including the Watermelon Festival.
Wingate says he hopes to stay involved throughout the transition process.
"I'm hoping that they'll have a new manager coming in sometime early September, and maybe I can have a few weeks with them and turn it back over to them and just be a consultant for the city," Wingate said.
The Florida Association of City and County Managers is expected to provide a recruitment update at the next city council meeting in July.
Wingate says his hope is that the next city manager will be someone who loves Monticello and is committed to serving the community for years to come.
City leaders say they are casting a wide net to find a candidate who can guide the city through its next chapter.
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