City Manager Jon Jennings, is a Finalist for the Position of City Manager in Clearwater, Florida.

City Manager Jon Jennings is a finalist for the city manager position in Clearwater, Florida according to an article in the “Tampa Bay Times” late last week. Clearwater is almost double the size of Portland.  According to the same article, Jennings and the other candidates will be interviewed for this position in early September 2021.

The news came as a surprise to many because Jennings had agreed to extend his tenure in Portland through July of 2022.   His contract was to have expired last fall. But, the change was made to permit him to assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic for the city of Portland.  Or, more likely Jennings just didn’t have a Clearwater opportunity up his sleeve last fall when his contract expired.  In other words, maybe he didn’t have an opportunity commensurate with his salary and benefit requirements until now.  After all, it doesn’t take someone with a special skill set to lockdown and lockout city hall.

Jennings has come under criticism because he appears to be setting city policy  with no accountability at the ballot box.  He has also been criticized for his failure to stem racism in the city.

If he wants to manage the so- called “GOP Pandemic,” the State of Florida could be his ticket to success.  He could be headed into the eye of the pandemic. With Florida’s daily record breaking surge under the leadership of obnoxious, Republican Governor “Death” DeSantis, who believes in his political future more than in science apparently, this opportunity should fit his agenda.

Jennings didn’t like doing battle with former Mayor Ethan Strimling – to the point where he once said he almost quit his job.  Will he like doing battle with the Governor DeSantis  over the GOP Pandemc any better?

If not Clearwater,  when and where?