Competing for an open seat on the commission, both first-time candidates pitched themselves as practical problem-solvers capable of moving past political dysfunction, even as they detailed differing visions for economic development, city budget priorities, and local government transparency.

Growth, Urban Sprawl, and the Local Economy

Perez, a veteran high school teacher of 16 years, framed his platform around curbing suburban sprawl and highlighting Tallahassee’s distinct cultural identity. Drawing on post-World War II development metrics like “value per acre,” Perez warned that extending city infrastructure into outer fringes creates long-term debt burdens for future generations.

Perez criticized generic developments like vape shops and car washes, urging the city to instead commercialize research from Florida A&M University (FAMU), Florida State University (FSU), and Tallahassee State College (TSC) to retain young professionals. Furthermore, Perez voiced strong opposition to committing municipal tax dollars for roads, water, and sewer infrastructure in distant developments like the proposed Wani project.

Derzypolski, a Navy veteran and longtime local business owner with 25 years of civic involvement, countered with a plan focused on regional collaboration, infill development, and creating a business-friendly environment. Derzypolski advocated incentivizing housing growth within the urban core inside Capital Circle to revitalize neglected neighborhoods, reduce crime, and meet affordable housing demands without taking on speculative suburban debt. He stressed that local government must change its mindset from “no” to “how can we make this work,” pointing to target sectors such as academic medical development, medical technology, and workforce training partnerships to drive high-wage career growth.

Party Affiliations and Independent Leadership

With neither candidate having previously held public office, both spent significant time explaining recent shifts in their political party registrations.

Derzypolski recently changed his registration from Republican to No Party Affiliation (NPA). Recounting his enlistment in the Navy at 18 and his past votes for family members like former State Senator Bill Montford, Derzypolski explained that growing frustration with national partisan rhetoric led him to align as an NPA. He rejected accusations from opponents labeling him a “MAGA-aligned” candidate, insisting local voters are thirsty for independent, level-headed leadership that evaluates projects on merit rather than party lines.

Perez, who previously registered as an NPA to keep political ideology out of his high school classroom, recently re-registered as a Democrat. He explained that the shift was a pragmatic move to signal his core values to voters in a broad electorate where direct conversation with every citizen is impossible. Responding to questions regarding external progressive group endorsements, Perez emphasized that his campaign is rooted in local issues detailed transparently on his website.

Fiscal Stewardship, Amendment 3, and Utility Rates

Fiscal management stood out as a sharp point of consensus and debate, particularly regarding Florida’s proposed Amendment 3 property tax measure. Both candidates declared their opposition to the amendment, warning that it would strip local decision-making authority and severely slash municipal revenues.

If state property tax cuts pass, Perez proposed trimming bloated executive salaries and eliminating administrative redundancies while protecting public safety at all costs. On energy policy, Perez resisted automatic electric rate hikes for renewables, advocating creative alternatives such as rooftop solar, net metering, neighborhood agrivoltaics, and localized microgrids to preserve grid resiliency.

Derzypolski warned that revenue losses from Amendment 3 would threaten essential quality-of-life programs, including parks, libraries, and performing arts. He firmly opposed raising utility rates to accelerate renewable energy transitions, citing the immediate financial strain on working families struggling with everyday grocery and prescription costs.

Governance, Transparency, and Community Priorities

Both candidates expressed strong dissatisfaction with the process behind the City Commission’s recent appointment of new City Manager. Perez criticized the selection process and her $317,000 starting salary with a $1,000 monthly car allowance as tone-deaf during an affordability crisis. Derzypolski agreed the compensation package was overly generous for a starting figure, arguing that future raises should be strictly tied to performance metrics, though he emphasized that she deserves a fair shot to execute the commission’s direction.

When asked about allegations concerning fake social media accounts operated by city staff, Perez dismissed the controversy as “keyboard warrior” distraction that fails to reflect the daily concerns of working families. Derzypolski called for transparent, courageous leadership, stating that city staff should never engage in divisive behavior on taxpayer time.

The NEBA straw poll of its members was won by Derzypolski who received 95% of the vote while Perez garnered 5%.

The Sept. 23 agenda item outlines the results of a citywide review of policies, programs, expenditures, contracts, grants and official activities potentially affected by Senate Bill 1134. The law, approved by the Legislature as Chapter 2026-43, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

City staff is recommending commissioners accept the report and authorize administrative changes needed for compliance. The review identifies potential impacts involving the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Community Human Service Partnership grants, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, procurement practices, special events and proclamations.

Under SB 1134, municipalities are prohibited from funding or promoting DEI or taking certain official actions related to DEI. Local governments also cannot spend money to establish, support or staff a DEI office or officer. The law allows residents to bring legal action against a municipality for violations and requires recipients of local government contracts or grants to certify that public funds will not be used for specified DEI-related instruction.

One significant change involves Tallahassee’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. According to the agenda, the office currently handles functions including anti-harassment training, equal-employment-opportunity complaint intake and investigations, ADA accommodations and Career Mapping programs. Staff concluded those functions can continue if they are open to all city employees without reference to categories covered by the new law.

The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls presents a more direct conflict. The joint City-County commission was established in 2013 to promote issues involving women and girls. Because that mission explicitly focuses on sex, city attorneys concluded its current enabling resolution “appears to violate SB 1134” and would likely become void Jan. 1.

The City and County are working on a revised mission for the commission. Meanwhile, commissioners are being asked to extend the City’s contract with the Oasis Center for Women and Girls for administrative support through Dec. 31, along with the terms of seven commission members.

Special events could also be affected. City staff identified Experience Asia, Filipino Festival and Pride in the Park as events that may fall under the law’s restrictions. If ultimately determined to violate SB 1134, those events would no longer qualify for city-funded co-sponsorship beginning Jan. 1. The law, however, expressly permits municipalities to issue event permits in a content-neutral manner and provide public-safety services.

The City’s Emancipation Day holiday is expected to remain. The City Attorney’s Office concluded Tallahassee has a “reasonable and defensible” legal basis for continuing the May 20 paid holiday, citing its historical basis and statutory exceptions.

Procurement rules will also change. New and renewed contracts will no longer include race- or sex-based minority- and women-owned business goals, and existing MBE/WBE goal provisions will become unenforceable beginning Jan. 1. The city is reviewing procurement documents and plans to transition its MWSBE program to a race- and gender-neutral framework.

Staff also cautioned that future city proclamations will have to be reviewed individually because some official proclamations promoting activities based on protected characteristics could run afoul of the law.

The agenda lists no direct fiscal impact from the recommended actions.

Now the next question: What rules apply to political and social-media activity by a City employee during the workday?

Part 1 documented the timing: 225 of 343 comments — 65.6% — were posted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. A review of Ray’s City timecards found dozens of comments during periods overlapping his documented City work schedule.

Part 2 examined the politics. NE Moderate repeatedly defended Matlow and Commissioner Jack Porter while criticizing Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox. Some comments went beyond policy disputes and addressed elections — advocating against candidates or discussing their prospects for winning or losing.

Florida Law: No Campaigning “While on Duty”

Florida law makes an important distinction between political activity conducted on an employee’s own time and political activity while working. Section 104.31(2), Florida Statutes, states: “An employee of the state or any political subdivision may not participate in any political campaign for an elective office while on duty.”

A violation is a first-degree misdemeanor.

But the statute also protects the political rights of government employees. Subsection (4) permits public employees to express opinions about candidates and issues and participate in political campaigns during off-duty hours, subject to other provisions of the law.

The law therefore does not prohibit Ray from supporting Matlow, Porter or other candidates, or criticizing Richardson, Williams-Cox or Dailey on his own time. The issue raised by the NE Moderate records is narrower: whether any of the anonymous activity constituted participation in an election campaign while Ray was on duty.

The distinction matters because some NE Moderate comments directly addressed elections.

On July 19, 2023, at 2:54 p.m., NE Moderate wrote about Richardson:

“Voted 3x to raise property taxes in 2023? No thanks Curtis.”

Ray’s City timecard shows his regular 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. schedule that day.

Other posts predicted Richardson would “struggle and probably lose” and said a controversial City project would “help Curtis lose.”

Williams-Cox was also targeted. On Sept. 21, 2023, at 8:58 a.m., NE Moderate wrote that the same City controversy could “make sure Dianne is not viable for mayor in 2026.” Ray’s timecard shows a regular City workday on that date.

TR has not identified a Florida appellate decision specifically deciding whether anonymous comments on a news website advocating for or against a candidate constitute participation in a political campaign under Section 104.31.

And the timecards do not establish that every comment between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. was made while Ray was legally “on duty.” His records generally credit eight hours of work during a nine-hour span, indicating a meal period whose exact timing is not shown.

The records establish that the comments occurred during periods overlapping Ray’s recorded City workday. Determining whether individual comments were posted while he was legally “on duty” would require additional evidence gathered through an independent investigation.

A Recent Broward County Case

A recent Broward County case demonstrates how investigators have approached similar questions involving political activity, government working time and public resources.

Abiodun “Abbey” Ajayi was an operations manager in Broward County’s Records, Taxes and Treasury Division while running for the newly created elected position of Broward County Tax Collector in 2024. After Ajayi announced her candidacy, her supervisor specifically instructed her to keep campaign activities separate from her County employment.

The Broward Office of Inspector General later investigated.

Investigators reviewed Ajayi’s timecards, County email activity, campaign activity and two political podcast appearances conducted from her County office.

One podcast was recorded at approximately 10 a.m. on a Friday. Investigators determined Ajayi had not taken leave and was working her normal County schedule. During the program, she discussed her campaign and what she would do if elected.

A second podcast was recorded from her County office after working hours and included a solicitation for campaign contributions.

Investigators also determined Ajayi used her County email account for campaign-related matters 44 times.

The Broward OIG concluded that Ajayi had improperly mixed her campaign with her government employment and referred findings to other enforcement authorities. In January 2026, the OIG filed a formal administrative complaint. The matter was resolved in April 2026 when Ajayi admitted liability and agreed to pay a $4,000 fine.

The case is not identical to Ray’s situation.

Ajayi was herself a candidate and Broward County had specific rules governing County employees seeking office. Investigators also had evidence showing the use of County email, equipment and an office.

TR has not established that Ray used a City computer, City email account or City Internet connection to post the NE Moderate comments.

But the Broward investigation demonstrates the type of evidence used to answer such questions: timecards, leave records, electronic communications, devices, government facilities and the precise content and timing of the political activity.

Tallahassee Has Its Own Social-Media Policy

The City of Tallahassee also has rules governing employees’ personal social-media activity.

Administrative Policy 408 defines social media broadly, including blogs, message boards, online forums and news-media comment-sharing platforms — categories that could encompass comments posted on a news website.

The policy specifically addresses “City Employees — Personal Social Media Activity.” It states that employees using social media strictly for personal purposes outside the workplace do not need City approval.

However, it also states:

“Employees should limit time on personal Social Media accounts while at work.”

The policy goes further for City-related subjects. Employees are directed to consult the Department of Communications before discussing City-related matters through social-networking sites.

For employees whose City affiliation is publicly known, the policy says personal content should be appropriate to the public trust associated with their position. Employees are expected to be truthful, courteous and respectful and “shall not engage in name-calling or personal attacks or other such demeaning behavior.”

Those provisions are potentially relevant to NE Moderate.

The anonymous account repeatedly discussed City business, including taxes, the City Manager, police, development projects and actions taken by individual City commissioners. Some comments included disparaging descriptions of elected officials.

Whether Ray’s activity violated Policy 408 is ultimately a determination for the City. The policy’s statement that employees “should limit” personal social-media activity at work is also not the same as an absolute prohibition against all personal Internet use.

TPD Case Shows City Social-Media Rules Have Been Enforced

The City’s social-media restrictions are not merely theoretical. In 2020, Tallahassee Police Sgt. Gavin Larremore was investigated over a Facebook post he made concerning Black Lives Matter demonstrations and the City’s decision to paint a BLM mural near Gaines Street.

Larremore criticized the City’s support for the mural and referred to protesters as a “mob of thugs.”

Police Chief Lawrence Revell ordered an Internal Affairs investigation, saying he held TPD representatives to a high standard “whether on duty or off.”

The investigation substantiated violations of TPD’s social-media protocols and rules of conduct. Larremore received an 80-hour unpaid suspension, was demoted and was required to undergo counseling.

Larremore disputed the findings. He argued that the Facebook comments were made off duty, in a private capacity, and were protected by the First Amendment.

These actions demonstrate that the city of Tallahassee has previously investigated and disciplined an employee over personal social-media activity when officials determined the content violated applicable City and departmental standards.

The City’s current TPD social-media protocols continue to reference Administrative Policy 408 and state that officers are responsible for complying with social-media rules during official duties and, in specified circumstances, at other times as well.

Two Different Questions

The Ray records therefore raise two separate issues.

The first is time: Were comments advocating for or against candidates posted while Ray was legally on duty?

The second is resources and workplace conduct: Did Ray use City equipment, Internet access, accounts or working time to engage in the activity, and did the content comply with City social-media standards?

The IP-address records alone cannot answer the second question. An Internet address does not establish that a comment was posted from City Hall, through a City network or from a City-owned device.

But Florida law and Tallahassee’s own policies establish that the distinction between personal political activity and activity conducted as a government employee matters.

The Broward investigation shows how another Florida government examined that distinction by comparing political activity with timecards, leave records, government email and workplace resources.

And Tallahassee’s handling of the Larremore case demonstrates that the City has previously investigated personal social-media activity by an employee and imposed discipline after determining applicable policies had been violated.

The remaining question in the NE Moderate investigation is therefore increasingly specific:

Were Ray’s anonymous political activities simply protected personal political speech — or did activity occur while he was performing his taxpayer-funded City job or under circumstances governed by City workplace rules?

The agenda item was originated by the underground utilities and public infrastructure division. Program engineer Jared Whitaker responded to the request for more information by stating that the multi-faceted project was designed to upgrade aging infrastructure and resolve long-standing operational bottlenecks in the northeast service area.

According to staff, coordinating pipe replacement directly with Blueprint’s ongoing road construction reduces design and construction expenses, avoids future roadway disruptions, and maximizes taxpayer investment.

Key components of the utility plan include the following:

Water Main Upsizing: Replacing and relocating existing water mains into a dedicated utility corridor to improve system capacity, lower head loss, and enhance local fire protection.

Wastewater Force Main: Constructing a new force main along Bannerman Road that connects Pump Station 94 directly to the new Bannerman main.

Addressing Aging Facilities: Pump Station 94, located in Summerbrook, was constructed in 1991 and is nearing the end of its operational service life as well as its design capacity.

Eliminating Private Easement Bottlenecks: Currently, wastewater from Summerbrook and Ox Bottom is pumped across private property easements into a gravity sewer in Killearn Estates.
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Three Key Points of Contradiction

Despite staff’s technical presentation, Commissioner Matlow strongly contested the item. During commission discussion, Matlow made several assertions that directly contradicted the facts and scope presented by Engineer Whitaker:

1. “Roadway Driven” vs. “Development Driven”
   
   Engineer Whitaker: Stated explicitly that the utility improvements are “roadway driven and operational in nature, not development driven,” pointing out that the active Blueprint roadway project merely provides a cost-effective opportunity to execute planned operational upgrades.
   
   Commissioner Matlow: Contradicted staff, declaring, “this is not roadway driven because a roadway does not create a need for new sewer capacity,” and arguing that the $10 million advancement was designed to accommodate new development on the urban fringe
   .
2. Pipe Destination and Purpose
   
   Engineer Whitaker: Explained that the proposed force main links Pump Station 94 in Summerbrook directly to the new Bannerman force main to serve the broader northeast service area— a point later reiterated by City Manager Reese Goad, who noted the line’s terminus is the pump station
   .
   Commissioner Matlow: Alleged that the project represents an “expansion on Meridian Road with all pipes leading to the Phipps property,” questioning if the infrastructure was secretly intended to support development on that tract
   .
3. Availability of Details and Justification
   
   Engineer Whitaker: Laid out specific project locations (Bannerman Road, Summerbrook, Killearn Estates), identified exact capacity constraints (Pump Station 94 reaching design limits), and outlined the neighborhoods benefiting from the work.
   .
   Commissioner Matlow: Maintained that the commission was being asked to authorize nearly $10 million with “no explanation of the location, the area, the need which areas would be served or why we need new capacity.”

The item passed 3-2 with Matlow and Commissioner Jack Porter voting no.

The Sept. 9 vote applies not only to cameras supplied by Flock Safety, but also to other automated license plate recognition, or ALPR, technology used by the Tallahassee Police Department. TPD has been operating two ALPR systems — 80 Flock cameras and 75 Vigilant cameras — for a total of 155 cameras, according to information previously provided to commissioners.

The distinction is significant: Flock Safety is a company, while ALPR refers to the broader technology that photographs license plates and vehicle characteristics and makes the information searchable by law enforcement.

The unanimous decision represents a significant change from the commission’s Aug. 26 meeting. At that meeting, Commissioner Jeremy Matlow moved to begin removing the Flock cameras, with Commissioner Jack Porter supporting the effort. The proposal failed on a 3-2 vote, with Mayor John Dailey and commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson supporting continued use of the technology.

Since then, the political and regulatory landscape surrounding license plate readers has changed rapidly.

The Florida Department of Transportation recently moved to revoke permits for ALPR cameras located on state highway rights-of-way and said it would no longer issue new permits. The state cited the rapid expansion of the systems along with concerns about misuse, data privacy and surveillance. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also said use of the technology had “gotten out of control.”

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil separately suspended the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s use of ALPR technology while seeking stronger oversight and accreditation standards.

Williams-Cox said Wednesday that the city should follow the Sheriff’s Office and provide consistency in how the technology is handled locally.

The vote came despite TPD’s defense of the technology. Police officials have maintained that ALPR systems are valuable investigative tools that can help identify stolen vehicles, locate suspects and assist investigators in serious crimes. TPD had also outlined safeguards governing access to the system and recently joined LCSO in launching public transparency portals related to the technology.

But concerns over privacy, data sharing and potential misuse have fueled growing opposition locally and nationally. More than a dozen speakers addressed commissioners Wednesday and urged the city to discontinue the technology.

Matlow argued that public pressure was responsible for changing the outcome.

“This decision is only changing because of you,” Matlow told speakers, according to reporting on the meeting.

Matlow sought to go further, proposing that the cameras be physically covered within 24 hours and removed within 30 days. That proposal failed 3-2.

Instead, City Manager Reese Goad said the cameras would be turned off, preventing the city or others from accessing them through the system. The approach mirrors the Sheriff’s Office’s suspension of its cameras.

The action therefore amounts to a suspension rather than permanent removal. The cameras may remain physically in place for now, leaving open the possibility that commissioners could revisit the issue if new state rules, accreditation standards or other safeguards are developed.

For Tallahassee, the Sept. 9 vote marks a rapid reversal in a debate that has shifted from whether the city should use Flock cameras to the broader question of whether government should operate interconnected license plate-reading systems at all.

The proposed contract would run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2031, and includes 20 weeks of severance pay, a $1,000 monthly automobile allowance and a city contribution to a 457 retirement account.

Perhaps the most consequential provision deals with termination.

Under the proposed agreement, Jumonville could only be removed by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the City Commission. With five commissioners, that would effectively require four votes to terminate the city manager rather than the three votes needed for most commission actions.

According to the city, the provision mirrors the employment terms of Tallahassee’s Inspector General. The remainder of the agreement is based on contracts used for the city’s appointed officials.

The contract comes one week after a divided City Commission selected Jumonville as the successor to longtime City Manager Reese Goad.

On Sept. 2, commissioners voted 3-2 to select Jumonville following public interviews with three finalists identified through a nationwide search. The commission then directed the mayor to negotiate an employment agreement for consideration at its Sept. 9 meeting.

Jumonville currently serves as Tallahassee’s deputy city manager and previously served as assistant city manager and Growth Management director.

The selection followed a search that began after Goad announced on April 28 that he would retire effective Sept. 30 or upon selection of his successor. Goad has served as city manager since September 2018 after being named interim manager in November 2017.

One distinction highlighted in the city agenda is that Flock Safety is a company, while automated license plate recognition, or ALPR, is the technology. TPD currently uses two ALPR platforms — Flock Safety and Vigilant — with 80 Flock cameras and 75 Vigilant cameras. The fixed cameras capture license plates and associated vehicle information that investigators can search for legitimate law enforcement purposes.

The systems are also different from TPD’s public-safety video cameras. Those cameras provide video footage associated with calls for service and investigations, while ALPR cameras automatically identify and create searchable records of license plates passing the cameras.

TPD Points to Major Cases

TPD says ALPR technology has played a role in several significant investigations.

According to the agenda, investigators used ALPR information during a 2025 investigation into approximately 14 bank robberies involving suspects traveling from Texas along the Interstate 10 corridor and frequently changing license plates. The information helped investigators reconstruct vehicle movements and connect related incidents.

In another case, following a February 2025 armed robbery and double homicide at a Gadsden County convenience store, investigators identified the suspect vehicle. A Flock alert later detected the vehicle traveling through another jurisdiction, helping officers coordinate across agencies and eventually capture the suspect in Suwannee County.

TPD also reports ALPR technology contributed to resolving several attempted murder or homicide investigations between 2022 and 2026, including the November 2022 FAMU basketball court homicide and 2025 and 2026 Tallahassee homicide cases. In March 2026, officers used ALPR data to locate an elderly person with dementia who had been reported missing.

Flock provides an additional benefit because participating law enforcement agencies can share information. TPD determines which agencies may access its Flock data, while other agencies decide whether their information is available to Tallahassee investigators. That can allow investigators to follow vehicles beyond the reach of TPD-owned cameras.

Safeguards and Audits

TPD’s General Order 56 limits ALPR use to active criminal intelligence or investigative purposes. Searches require an authorized user to provide a purpose and case number, and access is controlled through individual login credentials.

The department also says an ALPR alert by itself generally does not give an officer authority to take enforcement action. Officers must visually verify the license plate and confirm the information through appropriate law enforcement databases.

Other safeguards include mandatory training, restrictions against using the system for personal interest or curiosity, and auditing of searches. Misuse can result in discipline, termination, criminal arrest or civil liability. TPD policy establishes a minimum 30-day data-retention period, subject to applicable public-records requirements.

Those auditing provisions recently received a real-world test. TPD identified 293 searches that were flagged by the system for further review. According to the city, each was investigated and determined to have been conducted for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.

TPD also launched a public Flock Transparency Portal on Aug. 25 providing information about ALPR reads, searches, hits, policies and other information.

The discussion comes as other governments reconsider the technology. Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil recently suspended LCSO’s use of ALPR technology pending additional standards and oversight, while the Florida Department of Transportation has revoked permits allowing ALPR devices within state highway rights-of-way. The FDOT action does not prohibit ALPR technology generally, but requires affected cameras to be removed from state rights-of-way.

The City Commission agenda does not recommend ending TPD’s ALPR program. Instead, commissioners are being asked to provide direction on the technology’s future use as officials weigh its documented investigative benefits against concerns involving privacy, data access, retention and oversight.

Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox supported moving forward with Jumonville, while Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter voted against the motion. Jumonville’s contract is expected to return to the commission for final ratification on Sept. 9.

Before the final vote, Matlow and Porter, the commission’s progressive wing, proposed hiring Jumonville under a one-year contract. The proposal was rejected by the commission majority, with Dailey arguing that a short-term agreement would create instability, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

The contract debate reflected a larger disagreement that has surrounded the city manager search for months. Matlow and Porter have argued that the commission should not make a long-term appointment shortly before the November elections, which could change the makeup of the five-member board. WFSU reported that the two commissioners said Wednesday that the process had been rushed and could result in instability if the incoming commission wants a different manager.

The commission majority has rejected that argument, maintaining that the current commission has a responsibility to select a permanent replacement for retiring City Manager Reese Goad.

Jumonville was one of three finalists recommended by S. Renée Narloch & Associates, the firm hired by the city for $30,000 to conduct the nationwide search. The other finalists were Scott Andrews, former county manager of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and Valerie Washington, assistant city manager in Fort Worth, Texas.

As previously reported by Tallahassee Reports, the three finalists emerged from 37 applicants representing nine states and the District of Columbia. The applicant pool included 13 current or former city and county managers and five deputy or assistant city managers.

Jumonville brings considerably more Tallahassee experience than the other finalists. She joined city government in 1999 and was promoted to deputy city manager in March 2025 after serving as an assistant city manager since 2022. She previously headed the city’s Growth Management Department and was the first woman to serve as its director.

As deputy city manager, Jumonville oversees departments with a combined budget exceeding $270 million and approximately 700 employees. The city manager is responsible for a much larger organization — nearly 4,000 employees, a roughly $1.2 billion operating and capital budget, six municipal utilities, the Tallahassee Police Department, fire services, parks and recreation and Tallahassee International Airport.

During her presentation to commissioners, Jumonville emphasized both her experience and the responsibility that comes with the position.

“I understand first hand the significance of this position, its importance to the community and the extraordinary responsibility that comes with it,” Jumonville said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. She said her focus would include aligning city spending with priorities established by the commission.

At Tuesday’s public meet-and-greet, Jumonville told WFSU that she would focus on “fiscal stewardship” while fostering the city’s “one team mentality and culture.”

Jumonville will replace Goad, who announced earlier this year that he would retire effective Sept. 30 or when his successor is selected. Goad has served as city manager since 2018 and had previously endorsed Jumonville as a strong candidate for the position.

In an eight-page order filed Monday, Aug. 31, Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh granted motions to dismiss filed by the City of Tallahassee and the Florida State University Board of Trustees. The ruling ends the case at the trial-court level unless the plaintiffs pursue an appeal.

The lawsuit was filed April 30 by the Tallahassee Branch NAACP and four residents — Jacqueline Y. Perkins, Moises Humberto Martinez, Ada Kilpatrick and Wilson Barnes. The plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief challenging the city’s March 11 vote to transfer the hospital assets to FSU.

The complaint argued the city failed to comply with Section 155.40 of Florida law in carrying out the transaction and alleged the transfer could put health care for indigent residents at risk.

Marsh dismissed the case on what he described as “multiple independent and alternative grounds,” finding that each was sufficient on its own to require dismissal.

First, the court ruled the plaintiffs lacked standing under Section 155.40. Marsh found that the law provides a specific process for challenging a hospital sale or lease and limits an “interested party” to someone submitting a proposal to buy or lease the hospital along with the governing board. None of the plaintiffs submitted such a proposal or sought appellate review of a decision by the Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration.

The court also found the plaintiffs lacked standing under broader legal principles because they had not alleged a specific injury different from that potentially experienced by the community generally. The order characterized their status as residents and possible future hospital patients as a generalized grievance and found their claimed financial injury depended upon a speculative series of future events.

In a separate and potentially significant finding, Marsh ruled that Section 155.40 does not apply to the transaction.

The statute addresses the sale or lease of a public hospital to a for-profit or nonprofit Florida entity. FSU, Marsh wrote, is neither. Instead, FSU is a governmental entity and an agency of the State of Florida. Therefore, the court concluded, transferring the assets to FSU falls outside the type of transaction regulated by the statute.

Marsh also determined that allowing the plaintiffs to amend their complaint would be futile because the legal defects identified by the court could not be corrected through new allegations. The case was therefore dismissed with prejudice, making the ruling final at the circuit-court level.

The judge emphasized that his ruling should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the city’s hospital-transfer policy.

“This court can only decide whether or not the policy is legal,” Marsh wrote, adding that the court cannot “second guess whether that is a good or bad policy.”

S. Renée Narloch & Associates is recommending Scott Andrews, former county manager of Doña Ana County, New Mexico; Karen Jumonville, Tallahassee deputy city manager; and Valerie Washington, assistant city manager in Fort Worth, Texas.

The three emerged from a field of 37 applicants from nine states and the District of Columbia, including 13 current or former city and county managers and five deputy or assistant city managers. The recruiting firm screened candidates against the position requirements, conducted preliminary interviews and reviewed public records before making its recommendations.

The Tallahassee City Commission is scheduled to receive an update on the search at its Aug. 26 meeting.

Scott Andrews

Andrews brings experience as both a city and county manager and has worked in local government for more than two decades.

Most recently, Andrews served as county manager for Doña Ana County, New Mexico, after being selected for the position in 2024. Before that, he was an assistant city manager in Bakersfield, California, where his responsibilities included finance, human resources, economic development, information technology, community relations and risk management.

His previous positions included city manager of Covington, Georgia; assistant city administrator in Smyrna, Georgia; economic development director in Sugar Hill, Georgia; and several positions with the City of Temple Terrace, Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in business, a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in organizational leadership.

Andrews’ recent tenure in New Mexico, however, ended abruptly. The Doña Ana County Commission voted unanimously on July 21, 2026, to terminate his employment agreement without cause after a closed session. Andrews had served as county manager since October 2024.

Karen Jumonville

Jumonville offers the most extensive Tallahassee experience of the three candidates.

She was promoted to deputy city manager in March 2025 after serving as an assistant city manager since 2022. At the time of her promotion, the city reported that she had more than 28 years of professional experience, including nearly 26 years with Tallahassee city government.

Jumonville previously served as director of the city’s Growth Management Department beginning in 2010 and became the first woman to hold that position. She joined the city in 1999 after previously working for Leon County and the City of Quincy.

As deputy city manager, Jumonville provides managerial oversight across city departments and directly oversees Resource Management, Underground Utilities and Public Infrastructure, Environmental Services and Community Beautification, and Solid Waste. Those operations have a combined budget exceeding $270 million and approximately 700 employees.

Jumonville earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Florida State University, including a doctorate in public administration, and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Valerie Washington

Washington has served as an assistant city manager for Fort Worth, Texas, and has extensive experience in public safety-related government operations.

In Fort Worth, Washington currently oversees Aviation, Environmental Services, the Office of the Medical Director and Property Management. She also has assignments involving the city’s Fire Ad Hoc Staffing Committee, 911 Working Group, MedStar emergency medical services and Payroll Task Force.

Washington joined Fort Worth in 2015 after working for the City of Indianapolis. Her experience there included positions involving police, fire, emergency management, animal care and control, the Citizen Police Complaint Office and public safety communications.

Her Fort Worth experience is potentially significant given the scope of Tallahassee’s city manager position. Tallahassee’s city manager oversees a nearly 4,000-person workforce, a roughly $1.2 billion operating and capital budget, six municipal utilities, the Tallahassee Police Department, a countywide fire department, parks and recreation operations and Tallahassee International Airport.

What’s Next

The three candidates are competing to replace City Manager Reese Goad, who has announced his retirement effective Sept. 30 or upon selection of his successor. Goad was named interim city manager in November 2017 and permanently appointed in September 2018.

The City Commission hired S. Renée Narloch & Associates in May for $30,000 to conduct the nationwide search. The process included meetings with the mayor and each commissioner to develop a candidate profile, national advertising, recruiting and headhunting, application screening, preliminary interviews and public-record searches.
The finalists are scheduled for individual interviews with the mayor and commissioners on Sept. 1, followed by a public meet-and-greet from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Parkview at Cascades.

On Sept. 2, the candidates will make public presentations before the City Commission, followed by commission deliberations from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall.

Following the interviews, the recruiter is expected to conduct detailed background, reference and education checks on the finalist, including credit, criminal, civil litigation and motor vehicle record reviews. The firm will also assist the city with negotiations and the final appointment process.

The proposal, included on the commission’s consent agenda, would authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute a Joint Project Agreement with the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency. The agreement would coordinate city utility improvements with Blueprint’s Northeast Corridor Connector: Bannerman Road Project.

Blueprint’s project calls for widening Bannerman Road from Quail Common Drive to Preservation Road, constructing medians and turn lanes between Quail Common Drive and Meridian Road, and adding multimodal transportation and stormwater improvements.

Construction is currently expected to begin in late 2027.

The road improvements will affect existing City of Tallahassee water and sewer infrastructure, requiring some utilities to be relocated or adjusted. Rather than simply move the affected infrastructure, city officials are proposing significant upgrades to the water and wastewater systems while the roadway is under construction.

The city plans to replace an existing 10-inch water main with a 12-inch main, which officials say will increase water system capacity and improve pressure in the area.

The larger portion of the investment involves wastewater infrastructure. The city plans to install a new 24-inch sewer force main as part of a broader regional wastewater system improvement.

Of the estimated $9.5 million city cost, approximately $1.5 million is associated with water improvements and $8 million with sewer improvements. The estimate includes construction, inspection, staff and project management costs.

Funding has already been identified in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan through Water System Engineering and Wastewater Collection Engineering master funds and the Northeast Forcemain and Pump Station Improvements project.

Blueprint will separately pay for utility relocation work made necessary by the road construction. The city’s $9.5 million expenditure is associated with the additional water and sewer upgrades it is choosing to undertake in conjunction with the project.

According to the agenda item, combining the utility and roadway work under one construction contract is expected to improve coordination, reduce potential construction conflicts and minimize disruptions to motorists. City officials also expect the joint approach to produce cost efficiencies compared with undertaking the utility improvements separately.

The agreement between Blueprint and the city would establish responsibility and terms for both the utility relocations required by the road project and the additional utility upgrades being funded by the city.

City staff recommends approval of the agreement. Because the item is on the consent agenda, it could be approved along with other consent items without separate discussion unless a commissioner requests that it be pulled for consideration.

Matlow finished first with 14,908 votes, or 36.0%, followed by Ausley with 13,971 votes, or 33.8%. Parks captured 10,466 votes, or 25.3%, while Republican Mike Foust received 2,039 votes, or 4.9%. Together, Parks and Foust accounted for 12,505 votes — more than 30% of the votes included in the district analysis. Those voters now face a choice between Matlow, a progressive city commissioner, and Ausley, a liberal Democrat with a long history in state politics.

But there is another factor that could be just as important: November is likely to feature a substantially larger and potentially more moderate electorate than the lower-turnout August primary. That means the runoff cannot be analyzed simply by redistributing the Parks and Foust votes between Matlow and Ausley.

Parks Vote Concentrated in Districts 1 and 2

Parks’ support was particularly strong in District 1, which is predominantly African American. Parks received 3,119 votes there, nearly half of all votes cast in the district. Matlow finished second with 2,125, while Ausley received just 900.

District 2 produced another strong Parks showing. Matlow led with 1,414 votes, but Parks was close behind with 1,211. Ausley received 557.

Combined, Parks received 4,330 votes in Districts 1 and 2. Matlow received 3,539 and Ausley received only 1,457.

The numbers reveal a significant challenge for Ausley in particular. Despite finishing only 937 votes behind Matlow citywide, she received approximately 2,100 fewer votes than Matlow across those two districts. The runoff therefore puts a large bloc of voters who supported Parks back into play, especially in parts of Tallahassee where Ausley performed poorly in the primary.

Ausley Shows Strength in Districts 3 and 4

Ausley’s coalition looked much different.

District 3, which is majority middle-class Democratic, was virtually tied. Ausley received 3,690 votes compared with Matlow’s 3,652 — a difference of only 38 votes.

District 4 provided Ausley with her strongest geographic advantage. Ausley received 4,367 votes there compared with Matlow’s 2,717, giving her a 1,650-vote advantage. Parks received 1,636 and Foust received 747.

The results indicate that Ausley performed particularly well in the more conservative-leaning portions of the city despite running as a Democrat. That could become more significant in November if the general election attracts voters who skipped the August primary.

Matlow’s District 5 Advantage

Matlow’s most important geographic advantage came from District 5, the city’s largest voting bloc and an area with a substantial progressive population. Matlow received exactly 5,000 votes, compared with Ausley’s 4,457, Parks’ 2,430 and Foust’s 587.

The 543-vote Matlow advantage was not overwhelming, but the district’s size makes it particularly important. Nearly one-third of all votes in the geographic analysis came from District 5.

Matlow’s performance there demonstrates the importance of his progressive base. However, the November question is whether the political composition of the electorate changes as turnout increases.

The November Wild Card

The biggest mistake in analyzing the runoff would be to assume the 41,384 people represented in the primary district totals constitute the November electorate.

They almost certainly will not.

General elections typically attract substantially more voters than August primaries. The Leon County Supervisor of Elections lists 182,806 registered voters countywide at the 2026 primary book closing, illustrating the much larger universe of potential voters beyond those who participated in the city mayoral contest. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

A larger November electorate could also have a different political composition.

Primary elections tend to disproportionately attract voters who are more politically engaged. The November general election brings federal and statewide contests onto the ballot and can draw voters who participate less consistently in local primary elections.

If that expanded electorate is more moderate than the August electorate, the change could be particularly important in a contest between a progressive candidate and a more traditional liberal Democrat.

It also means Matlow’s 36%-to-33.8% primary advantage over Ausley should not necessarily be viewed as a 2.2-point head start in November.

The electorate itself will change.

More Than 12,000 Primary Votes Are Available

Even before considering new November voters, more than 12,000 people who voted for Parks or Foust must make another choice if they vote in the mayoral runoff. Those voters come from very different portions of Tallahassee’s political landscape.

Parks’ strongest support came from predominantly African American District 1. Foust’s best percentage came from conservative-leaning District 4. Parks also attracted significant support throughout the city, including 2,430 votes in District 5 and 2,070 in District 3.

Matlow therefore enters November with an advantage among the voters who participated in August, but without anything approaching a majority coalition.

Ausley begins only 937 votes behind, with demonstrated strength among middle-class Democrats and voters in the city’s more conservative-leaning areas, but with substantial ground separating her from Matlow in Districts 1 and 2.

The primary identified each candidate’s political base. The November election will test something different: which candidate can assemble a majority from a larger and potentially different Tallahassee electorate.

With 30% of primary voters having supported someone other than Matlow or Ausley — and thousands of additional voters potentially joining the electorate in November — the runoff begins less as the second round of the August election than as a new race with a different political equation.