Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The Monticello City Council approved a five-year contract with new City Manager Marcus M. Collins at a special meeting on Wednesday evening, Aug. 19, if with reservations on the part of some of council members.
That’s because the terms of the agreement were largely of the city manager’s making and presented to the council as a “take it or leave” proposition, in the words of several council members.
As spelled out by the terms of the agreement, the employment will be for a five-year period, renewable annually unless a written notice to the contrary is given by either party 90 days prior to the annual extension deadline.
Five years is longer than the council has been willing to commit in the past, the three-year contract with former City Manager Seth Lawless representing the longest previous period to date.
Unlike in the past also, it will require a unanimous vote of the council, as opposed to a majority vote, to terminate the contract. This means that all five council members must be in agreement for the termination to proceed.
“Nothing in this agreement shall prevent, limit or otherwise interfere with the right of the city council to terminate the services of the employee at any time, with a five (5) – 0 vote,” states the language, adding that the agreement will supersede any and all charter and human resources requirements.
The contract further calls for an annual salary of $100,000, as opposed to the $80,000 that the city had expected to pay, and it allows for salary merit increases based on performance evaluations.
In compensation, Collins waives the health insurance coverage and retirement benefits. The city, however, must pay for any job-related education that he may need to better perform his duties, as well as pay renewal fees for job-related licenses that he must maintain.
The city must also pay his travel and per diem expenses for trips related to professional development or city business, as well as provide him with a vehicle and fuel for daily city business and travel between work and home.
Collins will be entitled to a severance package that is equal to 20 weeks of his salary should he be fired without cause – cause being defined as conviction of a felony.
Vice Mayor Katrina Richardson chaired the meeting, as Mayor John Jones was recuperating from surgery.
Councilman Brian Bachman led the discussion, as it was he, in conjunction with City Attorney Mitchell Herring, who was appointed by the council to negotiate with Collins.
“I’ll run though the highs and lows of the contract,” Bachman told his fellow council members, before proceeding to highlight the key points of the agreement.
He conceded that the $100,000 salary and five-year contract period were unusual, in terms of the city’s past practice. On the other hand, Bachman noted, Collins was more than well qualified for the job and was willing to forego the health and retirement benefits, which equated to about $20,000.
Collins lived in Wakulla County, just across the line from Jefferson County, Bachman said. This could pose a problem if the council insisted that the manager must live locally, he said.
Herring, however, pointed out that nowhere in the city charter did it require local residency for the manager. This was a stipulation that the council had imposed in the past, but it could also waive it, he said.
The provisions that some council members found the most disturbing were the five-year employment period and the 5-0 vote for termination. The contract’s overall “take it or leave” tone likewise gave some council members what Councilman George Evans called “heartburn.”
Still, the council members agreed that they couldn’t quibble with Collins’s qualifications or experience, making him the best qualified candidate for the job.
“I don’t like him telling us what to do and his take it or leave it attitude,” Councilwoman Gloria Cox said, expressing what appeared to be a general sentiment.
Just so, Bachman pointed out, the council had two options: accept the contract as it was with the good and bad, or reopen the application process and start anew. Either way, he said, the city would be losing acting City Manager Steve Wingate, who planned to leave at the end of the following week.
“We’re between a rock and hard place,” Bachman said.
In explanation of the contract’s tone, he offered that Collins was retired and had only thrown his hat in the ring for the position because he wanted to continue working and felt he still had something to contribute. He was not, however, desperate for the job. Hence, the take or leave tone of the contract, Bachman said.
Too, he said, in informal conversations with Collins, the latter had indicated that if he sensed that he was no longer wanted, he would move on, absent the required 5-0 vote. This, however, was something said orally and not written into the contract, he underscored.
Despite his expressed heartburn over aspects of the contract, Councilman George Evans argued for approval.
A proponent of restructuring certain city functions, Evans argued that hiring a qualified individual such as Collins for manager presented the city with an opportunity to set the foundation for the restructuring of key city functions. Evans is in favor of returning some of the functions of treasury and financial back to the city clerk.
“We can flip treasury and finances back to the clerk and leave the manager in charge of the everyday operations,” Evans argued. “He can lay the groundwork for this division of duties.”
In the end, the council voted unanimously to approve the contract, with the understanding that Collins would begin his new responsibilities on Monday, Aug. 24.
Collins was one of four finalists that the council interviewed on Aug. 10 and ultimately selected on the top-choice.
Retired in 2023 after some four years as the city manager in Jasper, Collins has a combined 40 years of experience in local government, according to his resume.
His areas of expertise, as stated in the resume, include growth management, urban planning, economic redevelopment, grant acquisition, water/wastewater operations and infrastructure, and solar power plant development.
“I have always prided myself on my communications skills, honesty and conservative fiscal management,” Collins wrote in introductory letter to the council. “I work well with citizens, employees, commissioners and community leaders, as well as state regulatory agencies.”
Collins, in fact, had applied for the Monticello city manager position previously and been ranked by the council among the top candidates for the job at the time. He had subsequently withdrawn his application, however, having decided to remain with his then employer in order to complete certain ongoing projects.
His resume shows that his previous experiences include having served as the city manager at Callaway, Williston and Crescent City, as well as being public service director for the City of Mount Dora and director of water, wastewater, gas and engineering for the City of Leesburg.
Collins has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental management and two Master of Science, one in environmental management and the other in occupational health and safety.
He also has licenses or certificates in various aspects of city operations, including water, wastewater, underground utilities and stormwater.
IN THE FEATURED PHOTO: New Monticello City Manager Marcus Collins started the job on Monday, Aug. 24. ECB Publishing, Inc. Photo by Laura Young, August 24, 2026