Becker County Administrator Pat Oman offered city manager position in Ft. Meade, Florida

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Becker County Administrator Pat Oman could be leaving the lakes area to become the new city manager in Ft. Meade, Florida after the city’s commission voted on a 3-1 vote to extend Oman an offer on Wednesday.

According to the Lakeland Ledger, Oman was one of two finalists for the position after the city’s former manager left the job in August following an official reprimand by the commission for purchasing a fire truck without their approval and regular criticism on social media by some area residents.

Oman was selected following multiple interviews with Ft. Meade commissioners beginning in October.

During his interviews, the Ledger reported Oman cited one of his accomplishments during his time in Becker County was raising the county’s Standard and Poor’s credit rating from AA to AA+.

Oman requested a salary of $125,000 per year from the city of Ft. Meade, which is about $16,000 less than his current administrator salary in Becker County.

The vote during the Ft. Meade special meeting on Nov. 29 was not without controversy since two incoming commissioners, who had just won election to the city board, had not yet taken their seats on the commission and were not consulted on the decision.

The city’s interim city manager said the hiring decision timeline was driven by a clause in the city’s charter that limited the interim manager’s service to five months, which expires on Jan. 21. She also said she wanted to leave time for contract negotiations to take place with Oman and for him to give necessary notice to the Becker County Board.

In an interview with the Ledger, Oman said Ft. Meade is a “wonderful city … with untapped potential.”

Oman said, quote: “I think having a city manager with the economic development background and doing those successes, I think will be useful.”

Adding, quote: “I’m looking for something in the next 10 to 15 years of my career where I could advance another type of development.”

Oman has served as the Becker County Administrator since December 2021.