CLEARWATER, Fla. — The city of Clearwater will soon have a new city manager after City Council members voted to fire Jon Jennings.
During a City Council meeting Thursday night, a vote of 3-2 set in stone Jennings being relieved of his duties as city manager.
More than a dozen residents spoke in favor of keeping him in the position while two others spoke in favor of the removal.
But the winning "yes" votes came from Mayor Frank Hibbard, Lina Teixeira, and Kathleen Beckman – who cited a list of concerns, from not completing the city's strategic plan to poor communication.
“This is really about fit and I don’t think Mr. Jennings is the right fit for this city," Hibbard said during the meeting, explaining the decision is strictly business and nothing personal.
On the other hand, David Allbrighton and Mark Bunker voted for Jennings to remain as city manager. Each said terminating him felt premature at this time.
Jennings held the same position in Portland, Maine, and reportedly often clashed with the city's mayor.
Clearwater hired him in September of 2021 following a nationwide search. Now, it's back to the drawing board for the city.
"We will start a national search to look for his replacement. That process generally runs 4 to 6 months before you actually have somebody sitting in the seat," Hibbard said.
Jennings, who earns an annual salary of $230,000 as city manager, is entitled to a cash payout of 20 weeks' salary if terminated without cause, according to his contract.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Jennings for comment by phone and email on Thursday afternoon. We have not yet heard back.