Rickelle Williams, the Miami Beach assistant city manager hired to lead Fort Lauderdale City Hall, says she hopes to stay around awhile.
Williams, 39, will take the reins on April 2 after beating out more than 90 candidates for the $350,000-a-year job.
She will be Fort Lauderdale’s fifth city manager in just seven years in a coastal town facing increasing gridlock, flooding woes, a homeless crisis and a serious affordable housing shortage.
“The search committee saw her as a dynamic forward-thinking choice who could move the city to the next level,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said Tuesday night before voting on the four-year contract he helped negotiate. “She received strong public support.”
Commissioners approved the contract 4-1 after hearing from several supporters who urged them to get the deal done.
Melinda Bowker, who served as chair of the City Manager Search Committee, told the commission the contract negotiated by the mayor was fair and competitive.
“We are a world-class city,” Bowker said. “We don’t want to be the cheapest date in town.”
Under the contract, Williams will receive a $700 monthly car allowance; a $200 monthly phone reimbursement; a moving allowance of $10,000; and a lump-sum severance package of 20 weeks of pay if she were to be fired without cause.
In the interest of keeping her around, the contract offers a longevity bonus of $10,500 in April 2028, or 3% of her base salary on her third job anniversary. She will also receive 1% of her base salary each year after that.
The contract also gives her nine months to establish residency in Fort Lauderdale, a charter requirement for the city manager.
“The reason for that is it will take time for her to find a home, close on a home and settle her family from north Dade County to Fort Lauderdale,” Trantalis said.
Williams earned a salary of $350,000 when she served as acting city manager of Miami Beach last year, Trantalis noted.
“Age and experience are not the only factors in determining talent and pay,” Trantalis said. “The salary of $350,000 is not out of line when you look at the South Florida region. Miami pays its manager $471,000. Palm Beach Gardens pays $412,000. Pompano Beach pays $385,000. Miami Beach pays $375,000. And the deputy Broward County administrator earns $345,000 and oversees approximately the same number of employees and the same size budget as the city of Fort Lauderdale.”
For those who thought the contract was too generous, Vice Mayor Steve Glassman had this to say: It also comes with high expectations.
“We are providing an excellent contract,” he said. “But we are also saying to Rickelle, ‘We expect a lot.’ This is a contract that not only sets high expectations but also gives the incentives to prove that we are looking for a long-term relationship. And that is exactly what I’m hoping for and that is exactly what I believe will happen.”
Williams, recently voted “Badass of the Year” by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, will be the first Black woman to run Fort Lauderdale City Hall. She will oversee a $1.2 billion budget and nearly 3,000 employees.
Williams thanked the commission for choosing her.
“I will work everyday to maintain your support and to earn your respect if I don’t have it already,” she said. “I am going to work hard to make sure that Fort Lauderdale continues on a progressive path, and to bring innovation to the city, and to also provide opportunities for staff and neighbors and stakeholders to excel.”
Commissioner John Herbst voted against the contract, arguing it was “excessively overpriced.”
Herbst also objected to the clause that gives her a nine-month grace period to move to Fort Lauderdale. Herbst said he moved down from Jacksonville in one day after being hired as Fort Lauderdale’s city auditor nearly 20 years ago.
Williams told the commission she plans to move to Fort Lauderdale as soon as she can and stay for the long haul.
“To my colleagues in Miami Beach, Dania Beach, Miami Gardens, anywhere I’ve ever worked, to those who have been supportive of me from the very beginning, thank you so much,” she said. “And thank you to my future team in Fort Lauderdale. Many of them have seen me around. Just get ready because this is only the beginning.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
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