Orange Park Re-Opens Search For Town Manager
Interim Position-Holder Not Offered the Job
While there was speculation that the interim town manager of Orange Park, William Whitson, would be offered the permanent managerial position, last night the town council just said “no.” Instead, they decided to authorize a search team to select a new permanent town manager.
On a recent employee satisfaction survey and in personal interviews with Clay News & Views, town employees said they were looking forward to higher morale and a more positive work atmosphere when former manager Sarah Campbell left her position for a job in Fernandina Beach. However, according to town employees, they went from the frying pan to the fire.
Last October, Campbell provided the council with the names of several individuals who were interested in her managerial position on an interim basis in hopes of a permanent position. The town council interviewed Campbell’s applicants and hired Whitson, the former City Manager at Flagler Beach.
It wasn’t readily apparent if all on the Orange Park Town Council knew Whitson had a spotty work history when they hired him or were just desperate about having their city untethered upon Campbell’s leaving. Turned out, Whitson was fired from his job as city manager of Flagler for excessively poor performance and there were “increasing reports of a demoralized staff.” He was also asked to leave several other cities for the same reasons.
Biannual employee satisfaction surveys are conducted in January and July in all departments at the town. Although surveys are anonymous, employees spoke loud and clear. Town-wide ratings went from 17 last year to 13 in January. Last July town hall employees gave their department a 75 out of 100 points under Campbell, but in January, employees wrote unflattering statements about the new interim manager and rated their department a -11. Some said they were looking for new jobs.
Orange Park town council meetings were usually popcorn and cola entertaining and sometimes hide under your chair chaotic. Nevertheless, this council seems to be a mellower versions of their predecessors and less prone to encourage or join in a ruckus. They didn’t mention Whitson’s failures and gave him a soft place to fall. The council told him he could submit his application with other applicants to the consultants who would be conducting the search.