The Fort Pierce City Commission, after a contentious selection process, has voted to decidedly bring in a new city manager. Richard Chess, currently the assistant general manager of transportation and finance for Broward County, was chosen in a narrow 3-2 vote during a special meeting yesterday. His selection concludes a period of uncertainty following former City Manager Nick Mimms' arrest on bid tampering charges and his subsequent dismissal, as first reported by TCPalm.
The commission's vote comes after a period marked by lost applications and last-minute withdrawals from other candidates. The initial round of votes saw a divided commission, with Commissioners Arnold Gaines and Curtis Johnson supporting Chess, while Mayor Linda Hudson and Commissioner Michael Broderick threw their weight behind City Clerk and Acting City Manager Linda Cox. It was Commissioner James Taylor, who had previously supported Derek Scrapchansky, who ultimately made the decision to swing support to Chess, citing a need to bring change to the city administration. The details of this voting process were also covered by WPBF.
Chess could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday evening. In light of Chess's appointment, the commission also voted to position Deputy City Manager DeVoshay Johnson as the interim city manager until Chess assumes his new role. This move was made unanimously, providing at least one point of full agreement among the commissioners during the meeting.
There was a strong sentiment among some commissioners that the city desperately needed fresh perspectives. "We need some change. We need new perspectives," Commissioner Taylor told TCPalm. Commissioner Gaines similarly had stated, "I don't want to do status quo." However, some like Commissioner Broderick had argued that Cox, familiar with the city's operations, could effectively have induced change from Day 1 without the ramp-up time an outsider might need.
The next city council meeting has been scheduled for March 3, where further details of the transition and priorities in the city management might be discussed.
