The search for Sarasota’s permanent city manager is moving ahead with Sumter Local Government Consulting. The City Commission has narrowed the field from 87 initial applicants to 42 semifinalists.

The consultant will conduct video interviews with the semifinalists. Commissioners will review those interviews individually. At a special meeting on February 10, the commission plans to select approximately six finalists and invite them to Sarasota for in-person interviews.

The in-person process is expected to include one-on-one sessions with each commissioner, meetings with the City’s leadership team, a city tour, full commission interviews, and a public open house. A final selection will require a supermajority vote (four commissioners).

The timeline matters because Interim City Manager Dave Bullock is scheduled to depart March 6, making this the City’s second interim manager since Marlon Brown’s retirement in October 2024.

More: Your Observer coverage (Jan. 15, 2026)