Shortly after joining the Fort Meade City Commission mid-meeting, Matthew Taylor cast a vote to delay the possible hiring of a city manager.
The five-month term of Interim City Manager Howard Brown Jr. ends on Dec. 27. During the Dec. 9 meeting, Commissioner Jaret Williams recommended offering the position to Troy Bell, the former city manager in Palatka. Commissioner Petrina McCutchen seconded the motion.
Commissioner Jim Watts drew attention to Bell’s seven-month tenure in Palatka, which ended with his firing in September 2024 after city commissioners determined that he spent $50,000 on a city festival without gaining approval…