Milton to name interim manager Monday

The Milton City Council on Monday is expected to vote on hiring an interim city manager until the it finds a permanent city manager.

Mortimer Smedley of Fort Pierce, Fla., is the top prospect for the short-term position.

Smedley was assistant county manager and county manager for St. Mary’s County, Md., and Carbon County, Pa., municipal manager for Lehighton, Pa. He served in the Navy and Army Reserves for 36 years.

He has most recently been serving as 2nd mate on a research vessel, working with scientists in the Adriatic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.

Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom has been handling top administrative duties since Billy Beckett resigned after only five months on the job. Beckett, a veteran of 30 years in government administration, quit because of what he termed “bad chemistry” between him and some of the council members.

Milton incorporated in December 2006.