PANAMA CITY — The city manager of Cocoa Beach, who had previously worked as assistant county manager in Bay County, said Thursday he is interested in taking the soon-to-be vacant manager position here.
Earlier this week, Bay County officials contacted Bob Majka, who has been city manager of Cocoa Beach since 2012, to gauge his interest in the job.
Long-time manager Ed Smith suddenly resigned on Tuesday, citing family issues he needed to tend to in South Carolina. He agreed to be on call and make occasional visits to the office as he packs for the next two weeks.
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County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to have human resources officials contact Majka and Dan Shaw, the current assistant county manager, to determine their interest in the job.
Shaw said at the Tuesday meeting that he would have been interested in the job but he would want unanimous support, and it was clear that three commissioners supported Majka being hired. Commissioner Mike Thomas’ motion to offer the job to Majka immediately did not pass, nor did a motion from Commissioner George Gainer to have Shaw become the interim manager.
Thomas said he has confidence in Shaw’s ability to be the manager but that Shaw has made comments to him that he’s not looking at being with the county long term.
Commissioners agreed to bring the subject back up again at their next meeting on Jan. 6.
“The short answer is ‘yes,’ ” Majka said when asked Wednesday if he is interested in the Bay County manager job. “I received an inquiry from the human resources department. I’m in the process of preparing my response to that.”
Majka said the primary reason he would want to move back to Bay County is because his family is here, even though he enjoys being the manager in Cocoa Beach.
“We are happy in Cocoa Beach,” he said. “Things are going great. We love living in the community. It’s been great.”
Majka, who moved to Bay County as a teenager in 1986 when his father was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, began working in local government as a firefighter in 1988. In 1993, he joined Bay County as the hazardous materials program manager, advanced to become the emergency management division manager and then chief of emergency services in 1998. In 2006, Majka was promoted to assistant county manager.
“I worked for (Bay) County for almost 20 years,” he said. “I’m familiar with staff, with the community. We have roots there, both friends and family. I’ve been in public service now for over 25 years.”
In 2012, Majka was laid off from his job as assistant county manager as county officials downsized staff in the struggling economy. Shaw remained on.
“It’s an opportunity for us to come back home and for me to be able to continue what I’m doing and be closer to the family,” Majka said.
He said his wife is a civil engineer, so that also has to be taken into account in his decision.
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Majka said his current employment contract in Cocoa Beach requires that he gives the city 90-days notice before taking another job, “unless there was a willingness on the part of the City Commission here to consider something else.”
County Commission Chairman Guy Tunnell said the county has two very good candidates to choose from for the manager job. He said the commission will have to address the issue of who will lead the county after Jan. 6, which is Smith’s last day. He said if Majka is chosen he would hope the Cocoa Beach Council would not require him to stay on for three months, but if Shaw is chosen, that won’t be an issue because he’s working for the county now.
“What is going to happen is anyone’s guess,” he said.