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03Approach

How I lead.

What residents, staff, and elected boards can expect from me — and a couple of the decisions that show it.

In the first person

After nearly three decades in Florida local government, I have come to believe the job of a city manager is mostly about trust — earning it, keeping it, and never spending it carelessly. The manager works for the elected board, serves the residents, and is responsible for an organization of people who deserve clear direction and steady leadership. Get those relationships right and the work follows.

I manage public money as exactly what it is: a trust. That means clear priorities, disciplined budgeting, and being able to show residents the value they received for what they paid. I would rather under-promise and deliver than chase a headline.

With the council, I work on a no-surprises basis. Elected officials set policy; my job is to give them honest, complete information — including the news they would rather not hear — early enough to act on it, and then to execute the direction they set without becoming political myself.

And I lead the organization by developing the people in it. A full-service city performs because its staff are supported, accountable, and clear on the mission. The best thing a manager can leave behind is a team and a set of systems that keep working after they are gone.

Governing principles

  1. 01

    Fiscal stewardship first

    Public dollars are a trust. Sound management means clear priorities, disciplined budgeting, and investments that deliver measurable value — especially as cities navigate the end of one-time federal funding and rising costs.

  2. 02

    No surprises with the council

    Elected officials set policy; the manager gives them honest, complete information in time to act on it, then executes their direction faithfully — without becoming political.

  3. 03

    Operations that hold under pressure

    A full-service city has to perform every day — and especially on the worst days. Coastal management means planning, drilling, and leading through hurricanes, then guiding recovery with steady coordination across agencies.

  4. 04

    Develop and retain the team

    Cities run on their people. I set clear expectations, support staff, and build systems and a bench that keep working long after any one leader has moved on.

A well-run city is quiet in the right ways — the services work, the budget holds, and the downtown is alive. That is the job.
Charles Harris Rudd
In practice

Leadership, in real decisions.

01· Crisis leadership

Leading a coastal city through back-to-back hurricanes

Population
25,800
Budget
$120M
Staff
~350
Governance
Five-member commission

Situation

In 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the Gulf coast within weeks of each other, driving historic flooding across the Tarpon Springs waterfront and downtown. As city manager of a full-service coastal city — 25,800 residents, a $120M budget, roughly 350 staff — I was accountable to a five-member commission for emergency operations before, during, and after the storms.

Decision

The hardest calls in a disaster are made with incomplete information and no time. We prioritized life-safety first, kept the commission and the public informed in plain language, and coordinated closely with county, state, and federal partners so the city could move quickly on debris, infrastructure, and assistance.

Outcome

Essential services stayed running and recovery stood up the moment it was safe. Out of the recovery, I pursued state funding for stormwater-infrastructure improvements so the next storm would find a more resilient city. Crisis is where a council learns whether its manager can keep the organization steady — and that is exactly the test I want.

02· Redevelopment & finance

Reviving a dormant CRA and funding the basics in Crescent City

Budget
$5.7M
Staff
25+
Corridor
Downtown & US-17

Situation

Crescent City is a small, full-service municipality — a $5.7M budget and a staff of 25-plus — with big ambitions for its downtown. Its community redevelopment agency had gone dormant, and core water infrastructure needed investment the general fund could not carry alone.

Decision

Rather than ask residents to shoulder it through rates, I focused on leverage. I revived the dormant CRA and launched new redevelopment grant programs, directed Downtown and US-17 corridor master plans, and pursued outside funding for the infrastructure work.

Outcome

The effort secured $5.1M in grant funding for critical water-infrastructure improvements and earned the city a Florida Main Street designation — public dollars used to pull private and outside investment in behind them.

More on reviving a dormant Main Street