The search is officially on for a new Port St. Lucie city attorney. The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to send its consulting recruiter back out to hunt for the right person.
Current interim City Attorney Jim Stokes has agreed to stay on as the interim legal department head until a new attorney is hired. Stokes declined the city’s offer to drop “interim” from his title.
However, Stokes continues to hold his own practice, and serves as the City of Sebastian city attorney – making for too much work and not enough hours to get it all done.
The City Council met Dec. 3, missing two members on the dais that night, to discuss how to go about filling the position. The council opted to defer a decision until this week’s meeting, when all members were present.
Vice Mayor Shannon Martin and Mayor Gregory Oravec missed the Dec. 3 meeting. Martin told the Council Monday night that she would favor an external search for potential city attorney candidates, allowing for internal candidates to apply and be on the same playing field.
She encouraged Human Resources Director Jerome Post to make sure the recruiter understands candidates should have proven municipal city attorney experience.
Colin Baenziger, of Baenziger & Associates, is that recruiter. He found Stokes for the City of Port St. Lucie and negotiated his hiring. Stokes took the helm of the City Attorney’s Office last February.
Councilman John Carvelli reiterated his thoughts expressed at the previous council meeting, that the search needs to cast a wide net in order to ensure the best candidates are discovered. “We need the best person we can find to represent us,” Carvelli said.
At the same time Baenziger will be scouting for a lead city attorney for Port St. Lucie, he is also searching for a city attorney for the City of Fort Pierce.
Post told the council that Baenziger has indicated he can and will find quality candidates for both municipalities.
“He believes the market is fairly strong,” Post said. “He believes they have some strong candidates for the Fort Pierce position. And he is confident … he can find a city attorney for us” if the City Council opts for recruitment.
Because Baenziger’s last recruit has been with the city less than two years, his work is still under warranty. As such, the city will pay only Baenziger’s direct costs for posting the position and advertising for it, Post said.
The council paid Baenziger & Associates $24,000 in 2016 to recruit a city attorney. Post told the council at the previous meeting that it could expect a similar price tag if it were to go with a different recruiter.
