Drumm top pick for Zephyrhills manager

The city of Zephyrhills, Fla., has named former city manager of High Springs, James Drumm, as its top pick to fill its city manager position later this year.

Drumm had been with High Springs for about six years until his departure last October, when the City Commission voted 4 to 1 to terminate his contract.  Before a final vote was taken Drumm resigned and left with six months’ salary and benefits.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Zephyrhills is a city of 13,288 people located in Pasco County, northeast of St. Petersburg. The current city manager, Steve Spina, will be retiring in June after 15 years of service.

Last week the city council voted unanimously to rank Drumm as its first choice out of the original 30 applicants considered for the job.

Zephyrhills city clerk Linda Boan explained that contract negotiations must be finalized before it is official, but if Drumm is hired the city wants him to shadow Spina for a couple of weeks before taking over upon his retirement in June.

This would be to help Drumm get to know the city, Boan said.

One of the most frequently voiced grievances residents had with Drumm in High Springs, ironically, was that he did not spend enough time getting to know the community.

Boan said it was his experience that made Drumm stand out among other candidates for Zephyrhills. He’s had “long tenure,” she said, in the cities where he’s worked, “He has economic development experience, and he fiscally manages budgets very well from what we’ve been told.”

Overall, the consensus is that he seems to be “a good fit for the community,” she added.

When asked if the conditions surrounding his departure from High Springs were ever a concern, Boan replied that it was discussed, and the city council had the opportunity to ask him whatever questions they had pertaining to the subject, but that was “as far as it went.”

According to a St. Petersburg Times article, the expected pay for Drumm would be between $70,000 and $105,000. Spina’s current salary is $94,420, and according to High Springs’s 2009-2010 budget, Drumm’s salary there was $91,449.

Despite numerous attempts, Drumm could not be reached for comment.