City Manager Randy Knight applied for Ron DeSantis' Disney oversight board
Knight did not immediately respond to a request for comment
By Beth Kassab
City Manager Randy Knight applied for the top job at the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, created by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature to take back power from Walt Disney World over the special taxing district formerly known as Reedy Creek.
Knight’s resume was one of four received by the board, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Knight, who has worked for Winter Park for more than 20 years, let commissioners know privately after Wednesday night’s meeting that he applied for the job, according to three commissioners.
“Randy let me know he had been asked to submit his resume for the position last night,” said Mayor Phil Anderson. “But I’m relieved that Randy will continue to be able to work on the commission’s priorities.”
DeSantis’ board hired Glen Gilzean, president of the Central Florida Urban League and a former lobbyist for Step Up for Students, for the position at a salary of $400,000. The Legislature created the new board in the wake of a political showdown between DeSantis and Disney after the company spoke out last year against about the law known as “Don’t Say Gay” and stopped making political contributions in Florida. Disney has filed a lawsuit alleging that the state’s actions are a retaliatory response to the company’s free speech.
Commissioner Marty Sullivan said Knight, who earns about $220,000 in his current role, also told him last night that he applied.
“He said the job paid $400,000 and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” Sullivan said.
Randy is an amazing City manager.. Why is this news ??? how about a little privacy for a change..
This was reported in the Orlando Sentinel and it is public record. Readers should not determine what should be reported or not reported.
Public officials applying for public jobs is news.
Thanks to the Voice for letting your Readers know. It is news.
Some may not know Knight’s history and how he came to be our city manager. He obtained the job by supporting the wrongful ousting of his former boss, city manager Jim Williams. Many residents, including myself, were stunned at what we saw as his lack of loyalty and brazen power grab.
Jim Williams was fired without cause despite protests from hundreds of residents and scores of former Commissioners and Mayors. Many suspected Williams was let go because he refused to bend to the wishes of a few entrenched businessmen.
Since his appointment, Knight has had many opportunities to build a coalition of citizen support by operating transparently and keeping an open door for residents – all residents, not just the wealthy and well-connected. He has failed to do that.
Once again, we are witnessing his unvarnished political ambition to serve himself by joining Governor DeSantis’s pawns who are being used to punish the Disney Corporation, which dared to defy the governor’s political agenda.
I am thankful the Voice informed us of Knight’s surreptitious behavior
Knight would have done a better job than Gilzean.
Apparently DeDantis’ board wanted a figurehead in the role and not someone with the operational and financial expertise Knight would have brought to the job.
Randy Knight is a treasure. Good for him trying to get advancement in his career. It would be a loss if he goes of course. Every employee eventually becomes an ex-employee. As I always say the time to start looking for your new job is when you start your new job. Never stop being open to new opportunities is my motto in this day and time.
Winter Park is too special to have a City Manager running our city when he would rather be working somewhere else!
An Ayn Rand quote;
“You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.”
This is now the commissioner’s reality.
I guess that WP does not have enough politics and division for Mr. Knight! Sorry for him that he did not get the job if he wanted it but happy that he is still with us.
Hmmm. So, he’s looking to basically “retire,” collect his WP pension, and double-dip with another government job. In my experience, when it became known someone was looking for another job, the response was always, “Here’s two weeks severance, don’t let the door hit you in the you-know-what on your way out.” It made no sense funding their job search on company time.
Is someone trying to get Randy “cancelled” by convicting him of guilt by association with Ron? Let’s let non partisan positions stay that way and let people pursue their careers without innuendo.