(TALLAHASSEE, FL.) -- After 31 years of public service, Reese Goad is set to retire on Sept. 30 of this year.
Photo Credit: tal.gov, City Commissioner Reese Goad
Goad is 54 years old and has been the city manager since 2017.
"I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished as a team. The professionalism, innovation, and dedication demonstrated by City staff have set the standard that will continue to guide the organization well into the future."
The city manager announced on Apr. 28 his plan to retire on Sept. 30, or once a replacement is hired.
Reese Goad had a long career in Tallahassee, climbing from Director of Utility Business to become the city manager. Goad has worked in several areas of government in Tallahassee since 2000, receiving praise along the way.
City manager is widely considered the most influential unelected position in the city, taking charge of the city budget and overseeing thousands of employees. Tallahassee’s local government places executive power in the city manager and minimizes the role of the mayor.
Outside of a seat as a city commissioner, the mayor of Tallahassee is more for public outings rather than direct influence.
During Goad’s 9-year tenure, Tallahassee has evolved and received several awards.
In 2025, Tallahassee received the All-America City Award. Tallahassee was one of six cities to receive the honor, showing a high level of government efficiency. The city also won Best-Run City in Florida last year, a ranking managed by WalletHub.
Goad received the Home Rule Hero award in each of the past three years. The award comes from the Florida League of Cities, who acknowledge the best municipal leaders in the state.
Despite the praise Goad has had and will continue to receive, his retirement will come with some controversy.
In 2018, Reese Goad was an interim City Manager as the previous manager, Rick Fernandez, was under investigation. The city commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Goad to the permanent role.
Curtis Richardson is the current Mayor Pro-tem and the only commissioner still active since 2018.
The current commission has strong voting habits and has become somewhat predictable.
Oftentimes, Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jacqueline Porter find themselves outnumbered on important votes, such as the 287g agreement and vote for FSU Health.
Both Commissioner Matlow and Porter have been critical of Goad and called for him to be removed. The city manager gets a yearly review from each city commissioner, where Matlow and Porter have been consistently critical.
Mayor John Dailey announced the city will immediately begin to search for Goad’s replacement.
Video Credit: YouTube
Jeremy Matlow, who is running for Mayor in November, has publicly objected. Explicitly, the commissioner expressed distrust in Goad participating in the search for his replacement.
Commissioner Porter has shared his views, publicly stating that she wants the voters to be more involved in the process.
Seat 5, which belongs to Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox, is also up for reelection.
If the commissioners postpone finding a new city manager, it could lead to a drastically different decision. Instead of the 3-2 voting blocks which favor Dailey and Williams-Cox, Porter and Matlow are hoping to wait for a commissioner who favors their views.
Photo Credit: tal.gov, Mayor John Dailey
"To postpone to a new governing body where you have the potential of a new majority that has never had the opportunity to serve, I do not think serves this community well, and I think it's short-sighted to actually suggest that.”
Although the Mayor does not agree with a delay, it will still be voted on by the commissioners, and two of them will be campaigning.
If you have any comments or concerns, please comment or email me at jason.f@lead4earth.org.
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