GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Green Cove Springs city council members chose to replace outgoing City Manager Danielle Judd with former Kennesaw and Americus, Ga. City Manager Steve Kennedy.

Council members voted 5-0 Sept. 4 to offer Kennedy a base salary of $130,000 annually for three years with an Oct. 1 start date.

Judd said she would stay on in a consultant role for a few weeks to oversee the transition. She announced earlier this year she would not be returning to the role. The hiring process began in May.

Kennedy, 65, previously served as the city manager of Americus, Ga. from 2015-2018 and almost 11 years as Kennesaw, Ga. city manager. He spent more than 40 years in government over five stints in Georgia.

Kennedy said Green Cove Springs appealed to him because of nearby family and the city’s proximity to water. From a professional standpoint, he spoke to the growth opportunities in Green Cove Springs and he felt he was the right person to move the city to’ the next level.’

“At my prior locations, I’ve dealt with the growth, the good and the bad, and I’m ready to help the city in any way I can moving forward. It’s a good opportunity,” Kennedy said. “At each location, I’ve used a different skill set from the toolbox in my time there.”

Kennedy said Judd laid out a strong foundation for the city and he was encouraged by the councilors’ preparedness and questions.

“Looking at [council members’] vision and their plan, the way they regularly review goals, strategies and tweak them to truly address what’s coming up from a leadership standpoint, that’s what got my interest because they understand that process and what’s needed at their level in order to make the rest of the operation at the city work effectively,” Kennedy said.

In April, Kennedy was fired by Americus city council members and he said the reason for his firing was unclear. He said a city manager’s employment is closely tied to elections.

“[As a city manager] You can go from walking on water to being not worth anything, and it has nothing to do truly with your abilities,” Kennedy said. “It was a 4-2 vote, and all that I know was that it was without cause. That’s just the way it is and the way it happens.”

Mike Null, current Green Cove Springs assistant city manager and public works director, was considered for the city manager position. City council members almost uniformly ranked Kennedy first and Null second. Rounding out the final four candidates were Barrow County, Ga. Manager Mike Renshaw and Boynton Beach Assistant City Manager Colin Groff, a Green Cove Springs resident.

Null told council members the city had to be in the driver’s seat for growth. He laid out the millions of dollars in projects he was involved with.

“I want to be the one to lead the city into its next growth phase,” Null said.

The candidates were interviewed for an hour and thirty minutes each on Aug. 31 and were tasked to provide a first-year game plan. The questions spanned from how candidates would handle the city’s growth and hurricane experiences, to why Green Cove Springs was an ideal fit to naming the last book they read.

Doug Thomas, a senior vice president at Texas-based Strategic Government Resources that sifted through 64 applicants, presented the final candidates.

“Clearly, you’ve got four good candidates,” Thomas said, before council members opted to offer Kennedy the position.

Council member Van Royal ranked Kennedy third, though he said Kennedy was a strong pick. Mayor Connie Butler ranked Kennedy second and Null first due to his familiarity with the city, she said.

“He’s been here, and he has a passion and a hunger for it. I think he would go above and beyond,” Butler said. “That was my gut feeling with Mike.”

Council members Pamela Lewis and Steven Kelley said Kennedy seemed a fair and steady choice and had the experience to back it. Council member Mitch Timberlake said Kennedy’s strength was in economic development, qualifications and experience.

“He’s dealt with change that came from growth and external issues that came from growth,” Timberlake said.

After more than seven years with Green Cove Springs, Judd said the city provided a strong base for Kennedy to start with.

“When you have a transition between managers, it’s important to have that stability and I know that’s there,” Judd said.