By Juliana A. Torres
Staff Writer

Deputy City Manager Mike Steigerwald received unanimous support from Kissimmee commissioners this week to become the city's next city manager.

After extolling Steigerwald's reputation as a 16-year employee and arguing against the expense of a nationwide search for an outside candidate for the position, commissioners voted 4-0 to allow city officials to start negotiating a contract with the current deputy city manager.

The decision was met with a standing ovation from the audience, mostly made up of city employees, as Steigerwald stood to accept congratulatory handshakes from behind the dais.

“They haven't even asked me if I wanted it yet,” he said jokingly after the meeting.

Though Steigerwald had unofficially stated his intentions to apply for the top city job, he said Tuesday he was surprised by the commissioners' quick decision.

“I knew they were going to make a decision tonight on what they wanted to do on advertising (the position), how they were going to conduct the search,” he said. “I didn't think they would say, 'Here you go.' I did not expect it.”

Retiring City Manager Mark Durbin last week told the News-Gazette it was “no secret” that he was grooming Steigerwald for the position, having identified his leadership qualities while Steigerwald was still a city planner. Recently, Durbin has given Steigerwald more responsibilities and more direct contact with city commissioners in anticipation of his retirement, he said.

The commission was scheduled Tuesday to discuss how to appoint a new city manager to replace Durbin, who recently announced his retirement Aug. 31, after 23 years on the job. The city charter doesn't list any specific method for going about the appointment.

However, Mayor Jim Swan cut to the chase in his introduction of the issue.

“I have seen time and time again cities and counties who have spent who knows how much money chasing around the country to find someone to be their city manager,” he said. “I just don't think we need to go on a fishing trip. I don't think we need to go out of town or across town. I'm prepared to move forward and promote from within if this commission sees fit.”

The other commissioners agreed. Commissioner Cheryl Grieb said before the meeting that she felt Steigerwald was the “right guy” for the job.

“He's been brought up under Mark's wing, so to speak. They hold the same sort of values. And the employees respect him, which is very important, especially when times are tough right now,” she said. “I just don't see the point of conducting a worldwide search to find someone from Iowa that we have no idea who they are.”

The commissioners also said they valued Steigerwald's history and experience within the community.

Steigerwald himself admitted that the job would be challenging, but said he looked forward to it.

“Mark has really prepared me,” he said, giving his “mentor” credit for the city's progress thus far, as well as its continued success. “No matter who (the commissioners) ended up hiring, it'd be hard for anybody to fail with the direction he's taken the city.”