After 15 years as Sanford’s city manager, Norton N. Bonaparte Jr. will retire October 14, 2026. Assistant City Manager Craig Radzak will become interim city manager October 15, and the city says services will continue without interruption during the transition. City announcement
Bonaparte’s tenure spanned downtown revitalization, hurricane recoveries, the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s killing. Mayor Art Woodruff credited him with helping guide Sanford through those challenges.
The next permanent manager will oversee Sanford’s day-to-day operations and carry out policies established by the elected City Commission. That makes the selection consequential for residents’ everyday experiences with city services, staff and projects. City manager’s responsibilities
So how will the replacement process work?
The five-member City Commission—the mayor and four district commissioners—appoints the city manager. Residents elect the commission, and the commission chooses the professional administrator who runs city operations. How Sanford’s government works
In a September 22 public update, Woodruff said commissioners had directed staff to prepare to hire a search firm and develop a profile describing the qualifications they want in the next manager. They were considering using another local government’s existing search-firm contract to move recruitment forward more quickly; that option concerns hiring the recruiter, while the manager selection remains the commission’s responsibility. Woodruff’s update, archived here
The next milestones to watch are the selection criteria, recruitment timetable, candidate review and the commission’s appointment decision. A confirmed finalist list or permanent manager’s start date was not available in the sources reviewed for this post.
The transition also overlaps with Mayor-elect Christina Hollerbach taking office December 14, 2026, following her August election victory. Woodruff said he invited Hollerbach into the initial search discussion because he expected her to be in office when the new manager is hired; the hiring timeline will determine which mayor participates in the final decision. Mayoral transition details · Search update
Hollerbach previously called for Bonaparte’s retirement, raising concerns about infrastructure, permitting and stalled projects. Those were her criticisms, and they provide context for the expectations surrounding this change in leadership. WFTV’s 2024 reporting
Residents can follow the search through City Commission agendas and meeting information and share priorities with their elected representatives as the process develops.
What should Sanford prioritize in its next city manager: infrastructure, responsiveness, financial management, development—or something else?
