WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — The city of Winter Springs has been without a city manager for nearly a year. An official search began over the summer, and has cost the city over $70,000 so far.

What You Need To Know

  • Winter Springs has been without a city manager for nearly a year

  • The search has cost taxpayers over $70,000 so far

  • Without completed audits needing to get done, the city could lose state funding

Whoever finally gets this job will have a lot on their plate. Not only will they be trying to complete a $100 million wastewater treatment plant, but they will also need to complete three audits.

If they aren’t done, the mayor says the city could lose state funding.

“We could, potentially, we could,” Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann says about the potential to lose state funding. “Absolutely we could. That’s a real concern. That would be devastating.”

This past Monday when the commission was discussing the top candidates, it got so heated between members the mayor had to step in and try to get everyone focused on the task at hand, which is finding a city manager.

“Let’s move on,” you could hear the mayor shout at the commission meeting. “Stop. Stop. Seriously, stop for a second. Hold on…, we are embarrassing ourselves.”

The mayor does not have a vote on the commission, but he is ready to find a city manager, along with the residents of Winter Springs.

Larry Sherman moved to Winter Springs from Columbus, Ohio in the mid-90s. He says what’s happening in the city can be summed up with one word.

“The word I would say is alarming. Very alarming,” he said. “We have a commission that doesn’t seem to get along. They don’t seem to be on the same page.”

At the beginning of the year, Winter Springs went with Korn Ferry to handle their search for a city manager. Over 200 applications were received, and then Korn Ferry created a system to determine the top five candidates.

News 13 obtained an e-mail from a county manager in Michigan who was considered the top candidate. He withdrew from the search following Monday’s meeting, saying the decision was solely based on “two members of the city commission and their lack of support for me and the process.” He also pointed out a commissioner said he was “sub par”.

Aside from Sherman keeping tabs on Ohio State football, it’s the future of his city he’s monitoring closely.

“This is the pinnacle of what I have seen, and it’s been ongoing,” Sherman describes. “I think Hurricane Ian brought it to light with the flooding. Really brought it to light that we have severe problems in the city.”

And the most important one can’t get a resolution until the city has a conclusion to their city manager search.

According to McCann, the city is also currently missing a finance director. As for the city manager search, an in-person interview is now set for their number two candidate who will be flying in from Virginia, and then a vote will likely happen shortly after.