City Manager Reese Goad recently announced a city reorganization and promotion of employees to further efforts toward the City of Tallahassee’s strategic goals.
“Change is rapid in today’s world, and we must keep pace to ensure organizational effectiveness as outlined in our five-year strategic plan. This includes supporting succession planning to ensure the continuity of operations, working to reflect the community we serve and remaining agile to meet rising needs, while remaining fiscally responsible,” City Manager Goad said.
The announcement included the promotion of three current city employees to the position of Assistant City Mananger.
Dr. Karen Jumonville, who began her career with the City of Tallahassee in 1999 after working for both Leon County and the City of Quincy, is now the Assistant City Manager responsible for the areas of Environmental Services, Growth Management and Underground Utilities and Public Infrastructure. Her salary increased from $151,415 to 199,500.
Since 2010, Jumonville has served as the Director of Growth Management, making her the first female to hold this City position. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a doctorate in Public Administration from Florida State University. Additionally, she holds certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Abena Ojetayo, who started with the City in 2017 as its first Chief Resilience Officer, is now the Assistant City Manager responsible for the areas of Fleet, Housing and Community Services, Human Resources and StarMetro. Her salary increased from $151,415 to 199,500.
Most recently, Ojetayo served as the Director of Housing and Community Resilience. Prior to her tenure with the City, she worked internationally and nationally on sustainability, resiliency and development projects including at Cornell University and Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. She has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Cornell University. Additionally, she is a LEED accredited professional.
Christian Doolin, who joined the City in 2016 as its first Director of Strategic Innovation, is now the Assistant City Manager responsible for the areas of Financial Services, Grants and Enterprise Resources, Procurement, Resource Management, Strategic Innovation and Technology and Innovation. His salary increased from $137,773 to $199,500.
Doolin coordinated the development of the City’s five-year strategic plan and led fiscal and management process improvement efforts. He has an extensive background spanning 25 years in business strategy development, financial and economic modeling, organizational change and process improvement. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in International Development, both from American University.
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Roberta McManus ruined the procurement department. She was hired by the ex fbi indicted mayor.
Time for a complete overhaul of our top heavy (and overpaid) local government. Consolidation would eliminate a lot of duplicity and waste of taxpayer funds. I’m looking forward to voting for whoever is competing against those who voted in favor of handing over local funds for Doak Campbell Stadium maintainance/improvement projects.
Sorry. Nope. No one in the city get a raise, till kids stop shooting each other.
Thats the way it should be, anyway. Give you incentive ti stop it.
When was the last time any of you received a 30 – 40% raise? Regardless of a reorganization/promotion. Jumonvllie has a degree in Political Science – explains a lot. And Ojetayo deals with Community Resilience?? Whatever the heck that is. Getting used to shootings almost every day? We are being taken for a huge ride, tax payers, and it doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it. Vote em out? How has that worked in the past?
Betsy Frye the governor gets paid @$134,000 he did not decide for these Tallahassee city employees to get paid $199,500 … I guess the FBI failed at their investigation into corrupt ness in tallahassee
Let me get this straight. These people are getting a raise which is equal to 48000 dollars. Yet the state minimum wage is less than 9 dollars an hour and nobody sees a problem with that? I can’t wait to vote this douchebag some people call a governor out of office and vote in a decent human being who cares about the people of this state instead of lining his own pockets with his rich friends’ money.
Last night, I watched the Florida Channel’s coverage of whatever that was with the Mayor and the City Commissioners. One at a time, the Mayor and the Commissioners addressed issues. After 20 minutes, I couldn’t take it no more and changed the channel. My takeaway was, that is a lot of people, making a lot of money to raise taxes on working people while violent crime continues to grow.
This morning, a TV news program reported more overnight shootings and guess what the race was of all the suspects? One witness told the reporter that their community doesn’t like having Sheriff’s deputies patrolling their neighborhood. Remember, Snitches get Stitches.
But getting to the $50K raises. $50K is more than most City Employees earn. Our local politicians just love spending your money on themselves, cronies and securing the vote of the Black Community. The City of Quincy Commissioners did the same thing and the uproar lasted about 24 hours.
So, enjoy your day. At my age, Liberals cannot completely destroy the County in my lifetime. According to the book of Roman’s, politicians will be judge more harshly than the people they took for all the taxes they could. But if Politicians were actually devoted Christians and Catholics, the community wouldn’t have half the problems it faces.
@ Barb,
The numbers you provided are exactly spot on.
Until someone at the city or county explains and rectifies the horrendous Boulos project on Apalachee Parkway no one should get a raise in City or County upper management.
Another reason for a nationwide search for a new city manager.
“The average Assistant City Manager salary in Florida is $89,183 as of March 29, 2022, but the range typically falls between $76,944 and $102,410.” – according to Google
If you remove a video that was an actual part of the city commission meeting (and it made the mayor look bad), perhaps you should put a disclaimer that you are receiving paid ads from the mayor’s campaign, Steve.
Fiscally irresponsible moves by this mayor include:
BLM sign painted on the street. The mayor did not investigate this organization and it has been recently discovered that the BLM organization is a fraud.
The 27 million dollar Doak Campbell Stadium vote.
Creating positions at large salaries and ignoring salaries at the entry level.
Failing to include the assistant city manager in the loop in the reorganization.
Money given to Sheriff McNeil for his smoke and mirrors committee for youth crime.
I believe what we have here are irresponsible leaders buying loyalty at a time when their trustworthiness is at an all-time low.
Well, I guess, ultimately, the voters will decide whether these salaries reflect fiscal responsibility.
I don’t know what other cities pay their Assistant City Managers but I know that Governor DeSantis is top talent and I know what he is paid. I’m also keeping in mind that they are all government employees. For instance, I’m sure the Governor could make quite a bit more in the private sector.
I’d argue nothing is wrong with that picture (though I’d have to see comparables before opining on the amounts, and I don’t know enough to know whether the people themselves earn it by their work (not by their loyalty)). Governors (and a whole lot of other public officials) choose to run for office and serve as an elected person at the salary that the public accepts. Local governments compete with all other governments for the top talent. And TLH does deserve to have really top staff who are paid what they are work.
Governor DeSantis receives a salary, for being governor of the State of Florida, of approximately $134,000.
This article cites three city employees that will be receiving a salary, for being a City of Tallahassee employee, of $199,500.
What’s wrong with this picture?