Viera, Fla. — August 12, 2025 — After more than three decades of service to Brevard County, Jim Liesenfelt will now drop the word “interim” from his title. In a decisive 5–0 vote Tuesday evening, the Brevard County Commission appointed Liesenfelt as the permanent County Manager, ending a months-long interim period marked by budget balancing, labor agreements, and widespread support from staff and elected officials.
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The decision came after spirited public comment and pointed debate on the dais, with commissioners weighing whether to conclude a national search that had already yielded 60 applicants. Commissioner Tom Goodson made the motion to appoint Leisenfelt to the job permanently.
Goodson said, “I would like to stick with the leader that we know instead of taking our chances with someone else. The department heads are supporting Jim Liesenfelt, the county attorney, and other elected officials… I’d like to make a motion that we appoint Jim to be the county manager, and I would like to include the motion that we appoint Chairman Felner and the county attorney to work out the details and bring it back to the board.”
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From Summer Intern to County Manager
Liesenfelt’s appointment caps a 34-year career in Brevard County government that began as a summer intern in 1990. A graduate of Indiana University’s top-ranked public affairs program, he joined the county’s transit services department in 1991 and rose to Transit Director in 1997 at the age of 29 — the youngest in county history.
During his tenure, fixed-route ridership skyrocketed from 250,000 to 2.2 million annual passenger trips. He introduced beach trolley and Saturday services, expanded volunteer programs, and helped earn Space Coast Area Transit the title of Best Small Transit System in the Nation in 2003. Six of his bus drivers were named Florida Bus Driver of the Year, and three former transit employees went on to become county department directors.
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As Assistant County Manager, Liesenfelt helped remove golf courses from the tax rolls, staffed both the redistricting committee and the charter review commission, and oversaw infrastructure, libraries, parks, and transit. His leadership philosophy, as he described Tuesday: “It’s my responsibility to provide the resources our staff needs, then step aside, get out of their way, and let them get their job done.”
In just two months as interim county manager, he finalized the firefighters’ contract, balanced the budget, and drew praise from constitutional officers for his accessibility and problem-solving.
Public Testimony: Support and Skepticism
Public speakers were largely supportive, with some urging the board to promote from within to boost morale and preserve institutional knowledge. Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Clerk of Court Rachel Sadoff, and Chief Deputy Michael Waller each endorsed Liesenfelt, citing his long history of dedication, fairness, and strong working relationships both in and outside the county.
Others, however, warned against bypassing the ongoing national search. Critics like Kevin Jeffrey argued halting the process would “do serious damage to the public trust” and carry the appearance of “cronyism.” Rick Heelfinger questioned why the motion wasn’t made before the $36,000 search firm contract was approved, a question that was addressed by Commissioner Thad Altman.
Kevin Jeffrey’s remarks perfectly illustrate how someone with only part of the facts or understanding of them, can create a narrative that sounds convincing but is ultimately misleading. He spoke as if the county was locked into paying the full $36,000 to the search firm and abandoning a binding process — neither of which was true. In reality, the contract allowed termination with 14 days’ notice, only about $20,000 had been spent, and the board was fully within its rights to stop the search. By leaving out those key facts, his “cronyism” and “breach of public trust” claims rested on a false premise, showing how incomplete information can fuel an inaccurate and damaging storyline.
Local political talk radio host Bill Mick has been using his limited platform to push for former — and fired — Palm Bay City Manager Gregg Lynk to be appointed as Brevard’s next county manager, despite Lynk’s recent failure to get rehired by Palm Bay earlier this year. Lynk’s tenure ended when the city council terminated him amid what many regard as one of the most scandal-ridden periods in Brevard County municipal history. He hand-picked David Isnardi as deputy city manager — later arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit extortion, racketeering, and conspiracy to possess and sell illegal drugs after a years-long FBI and FDLE investigation. Court documents allege Isnardi conspired to blackmail a city council member by secretly recording him with prostitutes to secure political leverage. The same public corruption probe also linked Lynk to an attempted bribery scheme in which he was recorded offering a councilman a $350 monthly vehicle allowance in exchange for votes, although he was never charged.
Delaney’s Objections
The lone dissenting voice on the board’s direction — though she ultimately voted yes — was Commissioner Kate Delaney, who argued the county owed it to residents and applicants to complete the search process. She said skipping it would deny both Liesenfelt and the public the chance to prove he was the best candidate.
Delaney’s gave an example of her dissatisfaction came from a minor procedural issue: the county’s organizational chart does not list every single full-time employee (FTE). She recounted a constituent inquiry where she had to consult the budget book to find staffing numbers and said her suggestion to add all the FTE’s to the chart was rejected.
For seasoned public administrators, however, the reasoning rang hollow — county organizational charts typically reflect structure, not a comprehensive employee roster. With more than 3,000 employees across dozens of divisions, FTE listings belong in budget documents, where they can be tied to funding sources and approved positions. As some observers noted, Delaney’s comments reflected a continued pattern misunderstanding of standard government operations and organizational leadership more than a substantive critique of Liesenfelt.
Delaney’s appeal to fiscal responsibility also rang hollow to some observers. The commissioner has herself faced criticism in recent weeks for spending nearly $100,000 of taxpayer funds to remodel her own office — a contrast that did not go unnoticed when she argued that halting the county manager search would “waste” the money already spent.
Commissioners Defend the Decision
Other commissioners countered claims that the process was being “short-circuited” or that taxpayer money was wasted. Commissioner Thad Altman compared the situation to keeping a star backup quarterback who has proven himself on the field, arguing the county had “a winning team” and shouldn’t risk an unknown. He stressed that the search was still valuable — it revealed the position’s interest level and provided a fallback if negotiations with Liesenfelt failed.
Altman said, “I don’t think that was wasted money or wasted time to do a search. We needed to have a search for a new administrator as soon as possible because it’s a very important position and it needs to be filled. What we didn’t know when we made that decision to have a search was how Jim would react to this role as being interim administrator. And I think he’s done an exemplary job… I don’t think we’ve wasted time. I think we’re in the midst of a process that we needed to go through, and this is a part of that process.”
Commissioner Kim Adkinson read an email from former county director Steven Darling calling Liesenfelt “an exceptional leader” with unparalleled institutional knowledge. She praised his ability to recognize staff strengths and empower employees, saying a newcomer would take far longer to learn the organization’s capabilities. “When I talked to you in several conversations, your ability to notice your staff’s ability and aptitude is just amazing because you’re aware of their capabilities and their strengths. And like you said a minute ago, it’s to pull that out and get out of the way and let them do their job. And that’s something that a new county manager would have to take quite a bit of time to understand and recognize the value that we have in all the rest of our staff.”
Chairman Rob Feltner clarified that the search firm contract allowed termination with 14 days’ notice, and the county had only spent about $20,000 to date. He dismissed concerns about disruption: “If the board votes for Jim tonight, tomorrow morning we’ll just be another day at work in Brevard County.”
The board authorized Feltner and County Attorney Morris Richardson to negotiate Liesenfelt’s contract and bring it back for final approval. In his closing remarks, Liesenfelt listed his immediate priorities: finalizing the budget, advancing infrastructure projects, maintaining a quality workforce, addressing flooding and drainage issues, and keeping public safety at the forefront.
With unanimous support on the final vote — even from Delaney, despite her procedural objections — the appointment signals a clear direction for Brevard County: lean on proven leadership, preserve institutional stability, and move forward without delay.
