The City of Brooksville has named Fire Chief Ron Snowberger to serve as acting city manager until a permanent replacement for Mark Kutney can be chosen. Snowberger assumed the post the evening of June 21 after members of the City Council voted 3-2 to terminate then-City Manager Kutney ‘s contract.
Kutney’s firing took place after controversy arose over the City of Brooksville’s inadvertent sale of its water tower to Robert Read of Read Property Ventures, LLC.
According to Charlene F. Kuhn, Special Projects Coordinator for the Brooksville City Manager’s Office, Snowberger has served as the City’s Fire Chief for approximately three years. He was previously affiliated with fire departments in Mount Dora and Deland, Florida.
Snowberger holds a degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University, and is pursuing a graduate degree in Public Administration, she said.
Snowberger said that in the coming days he intends to build a strong cooperative relationship with Hernando County government and move the City of Brooksville ahead in a “responsible, respected, and professional manner.”
“My first days in office will be spent organizing and planning to assure that I get a firm grip on those issues that are important to the City Council, the local community groups, the business owners and our residents,” he said. “I will be creating a comprehensive plan of action with a focused approach on communication with both City Council members and City Staff on those highly significant and important matters; I will also be engaged in outreach, to understand the issues that are important to those who live, work, and visit our City.”
Kuhn said that the Brooksville City Council has not yet decided when they will choose a permanent replacement for Kutney, or if or when they will conduct a search for a new city manager.
In the meantime, Snowberger has named District Chief Brad Sufficool to serve as the City’s Acting Fire Chief.
