By: Sharon Aron Baron
It was down to the wire for three candidates on Tuesday, but Tamarac’s City Manager Michael Cernech was ultimately picked for the top job in Delray Beach.
“People have to know and understand how committed I’m going to be to the organization — that I’ll be here for the long haul and that I”m going to invest every bit of myself,” he told the city commission before the decision.
Delray Beach’s city manager position has changed hands at least eight times since 2013 including having the fire chief step in twice to fill in according to Matt Sczesny with WPTV.
After their city manager Mark Lauzier was fired last March – receiving no severance, a headhunter reportedly received 48 applications for the position.
Working with the City of Tamarac since 2001, Cernech was appointed city manager in 2011 after serving as deputy city manager and assistant city manager. He currently earns $256,520 a year plus pension, health, dental, life, supplemental life, long term disability, a deferred compensation plan, car, and cellphone allowance. He also has received a three percent merit raise each year – approved overwhelmingly by the city commission. Cernech currently resides in Parkland.
Cernech beat out candidates Miami Deputy City Manager Joseph Napoli and Homestead City Manager and former Fort Lauderdale City Manager George Gretsas.
He still has a contract to negotiate, but the salary should be no problem as the new position pays $275,000 annually.