Plant City commissioners approved April 28, a proposal to hire The Mercer Group Inc. to lead the search for the community’s next city manager.
The company came to Plant City through a search led by Interim City Manager David Sollenberger. Sollenberger reprised his role at City Hall after former City Manager Greg Horwedel was hired as Hillsborough County’s deputy county administrator.
Sollenberger recommended the Georgia-based Mercer Group over two other finalists — Slavin Management Consultants and Bob Murray & Associates.
“The only defining difference I can see was on price,” Sollenberger said. “And I think we listed up the price differential, and certainly the Mercer firm was the most advantageous for the city’s budget, and that’s why I made that recommendation.”
The Mercer Group already is handling the search for Plant City’s police chief. Because of that, the city received a 15% discount for multiple searches — from $14,750 to $12,500.
Slavin Management Consultants’s bid was for $21,429, and Bob Murray & Associates quoted about $25,000.
The commission also has scheduled a May 8 meeting with Mercer Group Senior Vice President W.D. Higginbotham Jr., who will be overseeing the search. The meeting, called a position analysis, will allow commissioners to discuss in a group setting what they seek in a candidate.
“We will spend a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the process with the mayor and City Commission (and others as desired) to determine the level of experience and training as needed,” the proposal stated. “Based on those meetings, we will prepare a draft position profile and review it with the mayor and City Commission to arrive at a general agreement regarding the specifications for the position.”
The draft position profile will be brought to the commission at its May 12 meeting. The official brochure will be completed around May 19. From there, The Mercer Group will begin the recruitment process, looking in its database for suitable candidates already on file and also networking to connect with candidates nationwide.
After collecting a sample of candidates, The Mercer Group will review résumés and then complete a candidate screening, which will be conducted by Higginbotham.
“Once the initial screening is completed, we will select the prospective candidates who most closely match the criteria established by the mayor and City Commission,” the bid stated.
After the screenings, candidates will undergo background checks, before moving on to the interview process. A written summary of each finalist will include their present position, total years of experience, salary requirements, education, previous positions held, notable projects, management style, skills and abilities, interests and professional goals.
The Mercer Group also is available to assist with salary and benefit negotiations. The final candidate selection is estimated to take place at the end of July.
“Sollenberger is doing a phenomenal job,” Mayor Mary Mathis said. “I’m glad to move forward with the search.”
The Mercer Group, founded by James L. Mercer, is an independent management consulting firm. After starting his own firm in 1981, Mercer merged in 1984, with another consulting firm, Wolfe & Associates Inc. Two years later, Mercer acquired the Human Resource and Organizational Consulting Practice of Wolfe & Associates, forming the basis for Mercer, Slavin & Nevin, Inc. He sold his interest in 1990 and founded The Mercer Group.
Through December 2013, The Mercer Group has conducted 480 searches for city and county administrators throughout the country. Of those, 84 were in Florida.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
IN OTHER NEWS
• Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis proclaimed the week of May 4 to 10, as Municipal Clerk’s Week in Plant City. She presented the proclamation to City Clerk Kerri Miller.
• The City Commission will hold a public hearing May 12, to consider an ordinance regulating the placement of shipping and cargo containers. If approved, the ordinance will exclude containers from the historic districts, downtown core, Midtown and residential lots, and include other regulations.
• The commission will hold a public hearing May 12, for an ordinance regarding public nuisances. The proposed ordinance would amend the language regarding issues, such as overgrown grass and weeds exceeding 10 inches within 200 feet of any building, recreational area or street. This ordinance would provide for stricter guidelines in areas such as Walden Lake Golf & Country Club and its two golf courses.
