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THE CITY OF MELBOURNE, FLORIDACITY MANAGERInterested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and salary history for initial screening by November 25, 2002 to: Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, The Mercer Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9328, Winter Haven, Florida 33883. FAX: (863) 299-6737. E-mail: tdf_wh@hotmail.com. The City of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer. THE COMMUNITYThe City of Melbourne is located in Brevard County, on East Central Florida’s Space Coast. Melbourne covers 35.5 square miles and has a population of 72,500. Melbourne is about an hour’s drive south of the Kennedy Space Center, and 1½ hours east of Disney World. Interstate-95 runs through the county from North to South. Nearby incorporated communities include Palm Bay, West Melbourne, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, and Satellite Beach. While most of Melbourne is located on the Florida mainland, a small portion is located on a barrier island, separated from the mainland by the Indian River Lagoon and bordered on the East by the Atlantic Ocean. The barrier island is connected to the mainland by a pair of 4-lane, modern high-rise bridges. In addition to the beach, Melbourne boasts a number of recreational and cultural amenities that contribute to a high quality of life. For instance, Melbourne has an international airport, two municipal golf courses, a municipal auditorium, numerous passive and active parks, and a beautifully redeveloped historic downtown area. These and other similar amenities have led to a number of distinctions for Melbourne, including being ranked by MacMillan Travel as the tenth most popular place in the nation for retirees, being one of the most affordable areas in the nation for home buyers, and being the seventh best medium-sized southern community as ranked by Money magazine’s “best places” survey. Melbourne has a diverse local economy which includes high technology, tourism, and medical and service industries. Some of the high technology companies located here are Northrop Grumman, Harris Corporation, GE Railway Electronics, JDS Uniphase, Nokia, Rockwell Collins, DRS Optronics, and Dictaphone. Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center, the major Hospital in South Brevard County, is located in Melbourne. This has caused Melbourne to be a hub for a variety of medical services as specialists locate in close proximity to the hospital. Another hospital is also underway. Educational facilities for higher education include Brevard Community College, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Metropolitan University, Herzing College, Keiser College, and Webster University.
CITY GOVERNMENTThe City operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The Mayor and six City Council Members, each from a separate district of the city, are all elected at-large and serve four-year, staggered terms with a two-term limit. The composition of the City Council has been very stable over the past several years. In addition to the City Manager, the City Attorney reports to the City Council. A full-service city, Melbourne has 900 employees. Direct services provided by city staff include police protection, fire protection, parks and recreation, water, streets and storm water maintenance, and wastewater processing. Solid waste collection is out-sourced to a private firm. Melbourne is a regional supplier of water. The City has three unions. Melbourne’s current general fund budget is $41 million, with a total budget of $109 million. The City’s millage rate for the past six years has been $4.5228 per thousand dollars of assessable value.
CURRENT CHALLENGES ANDGOALSWhile some annexation possibilities exist, particularly with several enclaves in the City, Melbourne’s primary focus is on in-fill and redevelopment. Melbourne has three Community Redevelopment Areas, and the one in downtown Melbourne has been in existence for 20 years and has achieved very impressive results. A number of redevelopment opportunities exist throughout the City. Another focus of the City’s leadership is economic revitalization of the airport, which has experienced a downturn following the 9/11 tragedy. The City also is focusing on using its ideal location and impressive base of high technology companies to continue economic development through attracting more high technology industry. Simultaneously, the City wants to use its strategic location, airport, beaches, and nearby attractions to make Melbourne more of a tourist destination. A number of development ideas are under discussion, although not at the stage of solid plans. These include downtown riverfront development, a new or refurbished City Hall, a sports arena, and a convention center at the airport. A major challenge facing the City of Melbourne is related to the desire to guide redevelopment so that it supports economic development, good housing, and a high quality of life for its citizenry. Another major challenge relates to City finances. “Holding the line” on the millage rate for the past six years has created challenges to developing a budget that continues to provide the high level of services to which residents are accustomed. City leaders recognize that the situation calls for some combination of a millage rate increase, exploration of additional revenue sources, and/or significant expansion of the ad valorem tax base. The City currently has an acting police chief, and the retirement of three department heads is imminent. Thus, several high-level administrative positions will need to be filled within the next one to two years. These challenges call for a City Manager who is well-versed in redevelopment issues; can identify and secure additional sources of funding; can think in financially creative ways; and is a highly skilled communicator and facilitator — with the Council, with the community, and with staff. THE IDEAL CANDIDATEThe ideal candidate understands redevelopment issues, understands diverse and politically complex communities, understands finances very well, likes a challenge, and can relate effectively to various constituencies and guide them toward consensus.
Education ¨ The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree in Public Administration. The successful candidate will have at least a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Public Administration or a related area. Training in planning and finance would be a plus.
Work Experience ¨ Ideally, the candidate will have at least five year’s experience in municipal government as the chief executive officer. However, applicants with extensive experience as an assistant manager or other high-level public-sector experience will be given consideration, particularly if they bring strong skills in areas such as planning and finance.
Desired Attributes
COMPENSATIONThe starting salary range for the position is $110,000 to $135,000, depending on qualifications. Fringe benefits are reasonable. HOW TO APPLY Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and salary history for initial screening by November 25, 2002 to: Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, The Mercer Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9328, Winter Haven, Florida 33883. FAX: (863) 299-6737. E-mail: tdf_wh@hotmail.com. The City of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants should be aware that applications in Florida become a matter of public record upon receipt.
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