VERO BEACH – The selection of a new finance director for the City of Vero Beach could be up to the new city manager.
Interim City Manager Monte Falls told the Vero Beach City Council Tuesday that the top finalist he and staff identified had withdrawn from consideration.
“I don’t have any good news for you,” Falls said of how the search for the new finance chief was progressing.
Instead of moving forward to contact the second choice candidate, Falls recommended the city wait until a new city manager were in place.
“With the selection of a permanent city manager scheduled for Friday, I would defer the action of making a final selection (of finance director) until then,” Falls said.
City staff had short-listed five candidates for the post. Of those, two withdrew their names from consideration – the No. 1 choice and another, who withdrew before the formal interview.
Falls said there were only two candidates staff felt comfortable making an offer to – the No. 1 and 2 finalists. He said he had not contacted the second choice.
Vice Mayor Pilar Turner said she was disappointed.
“City business needs to continue and we need a finance director,” she said.
Falls told the council that he had spoken to two of the city manager candidates and suggested that whoever the Vero Beach City Council selects might have a potential finance director in mind.
Falls said his intent is to share with the named city manager the process the city has gone through it find a finance director and provide the manager with information from the interviews.
Falls said he believes some consideration ought be given to the incoming city manager in selecting the finance director.
Vero Beach City Council members Tracy Carroll and Craig Fletcher agreed.
The new finance director would replace long-time Finance Director Steve Maillet, who had announced retirement in March 2010.
Maillet later rescinded his retirement to see the city through the 2010-2011 budget process. He has yet to retire, waiting for the city to find his replacement.
