Florence council designates Lisa Garcia interim town manager beginning Aug. 2

The Florence Town Council voted to designate Lisa Garcia to act as interim town manager beginning Aug. 2 and to serve until a permanent town manager is selected or until further action by the council.

Town attorney Robert explained that the town manager position is a contract role created by the council and that the deputy town manager — who also serves as town clerk — already has authority to operate daily town operations on a temporary basis. Given the town manager's retirement on Aug. 1, the council agreed it should take formal action to designate an interim manager.

Councilmember Bedford thanked Garcia for stepping into the role and council members expressed support for her. The motion was made, seconded and passed by voice vote in open session; no roll-call tally was recorded in the public transcript.

Following the vote, the council moved to recess into executive session under ARS 38-431.03(A)(1) and (A)(3) to discuss the town manager position and receive legal advice from the town attorney. The executive session action was approved in open session.