Politics & Government

Hardeeville hires new city manager Michael Czymbor

By ZACH MURDOCK - zmurdock@islandpacket.com

Michael Czymbor will become Hardeeville's next full-time city manager, the city announced Friday afternoon.

The hire ends the city's second search for a manager in as many years, and Czymbor becomes Hardeeville's ninth full-time or interim manager since 2008.

Several Hardeeville leadership positions have been plagued with resignations and turnover in recent years, but city leaders hope the new hire will help end that cycle, said Czymbor and Juan Singleton, the city's media director and interim manager since December.

But Czymbor has a checkered employment history of his own. He was dismissed from his last two jobs where he served as city manager for two small Florida towns.

Most recently, Czymbor, 51, was fired from his post in Palatka, Fla., in February.

He joined Palatka in July 2012, just six months after he was fired from the city manager's position in Fernandina Beach, Fla., where he currently lives.

Council members from both cities said they "needed to go in a different direction" when each council unanimously voted to terminate Czymbor's contracts with each town, according to reports by local newspapers after each incident.

Both instances followed heated elections in which council members were upset by newcomers who wanted to change the towns' visions and strategic plans, Czymbor said Friday morning.

"With the election of new city council members and new mayors, sometimes the people change and the vision changes," he said. "I acknowledge that as an occupational hazard, but I'd say I left those communities better than when I started."

"Some of that stuff is beyond my control," he continued. "I take an oath. I'm ethical and honest, and I work hard every day ... sometimes attitudes and expectations change."

Czymbor hopes his hire will signal the end of the "revolving door" in Hardeeville's offices.

His first day will be Aug. 31 and he will make a $124,000 annual salary.

He will focus on engaging citizens, "blending" historic Hardeeville with new development and expanding economic development efforts with the future Interstate 95 Exit 3 and Jasper port projects, he said.

Over the past 18 months, five Hardeeville leaders have resigned from their posts:

  • In June, Carolyn Kassel resigned from her at-large seat on the five-member Hardeeville City Council for personal reasons. She declined to elaborate on the circumstances but said it was "a culmination of things."
  • In February, Fire Chief Clyde Thomas resigned to become the operations chief with the Irmo fire department
  • In December, interim city manager Michael Phillips resigned from the temporary post after only four months in the office. Singleton has served as interim manager since.
  • In February 2014, city manager Bob Nanni and police chief Richard Nagy both resigned from their posts with little explanation.

    • Follow reporter Zach Murdock on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach and on Facebook at facebook.com/IPBGZach.

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    This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Hardeeville hires new city manager Michael Czymbor."

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