Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Monticello may soon have a new city manager, provided that the ongoing contract negotiations with its top-ranked choice pan out.
The promising prospect is Marcus M. Collins, one of four finalists that the council interviewed on Monday, Aug. 10, and ultimately selected as its top choice for the job.
Collins, who retired in 2023 after serving about four years as city manager of Jasper, has some 40 years of combined government experience, 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 informed the council that after his retirement, he had remained deeply committed to public service and had come to realized that he still had more to offer.
“I am eager to contribute to support the City of Monticello in achieving its long-term goals and continued success,” Collins said.
He had, in fact, applied for the Monticello city manager position previously and had been ranked by the council among the top candidates at the time. Collins, however, had subsequently withdrawn his application, determining to remain with his then current employer in order to complete certain ongoing grant projects.
Collins’ prior experiences included serving as city manager at Callaway, Williston and Crescent City, as well as serving as 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 Masters 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.
The other finalists vying for the job were Sue Beaudet, most recently the city manager at Williston; Paul Dyal, most recently the city manager at Brooklet, Ga.; and John Cameron Barkley, presently the city administrator and clerk at Oak Hill, Fla.
The council did not choose an alternate, should the contract negotiations with Collins not work out. If the contract negotiations are successful, however, the council plans to hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, to approve the contract.