STUART, Fla. — Stuart's returning city manager says he has unfinished business and a plan to bring more structure to City Hall.
Michael Mortell is back in his role as Stuart city manager. In his first interview since officially returning to the role Friday, Mortell told me he still has more to give the city.
WATCH BELOW: Returning Stuart city manager vows to restore public trust
"There's something drawing me. I feel the need to go back and finish the unwritten book or the unwritten chapter," Mortell said. "I felt like there was things that were left that needed to be corrected and needed to be finished."
After his dismissal last October, Mortell worked for the 19th Judicial Circuit, where he says he learned practices that could help the city run more efficiently.
"We need to really focus on defining administration defining what—who are the policymakers, who the administrators, who is the chain of command, and how we need to disseminate information," Mortell said. "Implementing more structure and defining it will help all of us make the city a better place and I think residents will know exactly what to expect."
Over the past year, a divided Stuart Commission and leadership turnover have left some residents questioning their confidence in city government. Resident David Kelman voiced those concerns at a previous city commission meeting.
"You all represent this city. You need to step back and unite because what you're doing ain't going to work. It's three versus two here," Kelman said.
I asked Mortell how he plans to restore the community's faith in the city. He says it starts with teamwork.
"We really identify everybody's strengths ... and find ways to work more as a team so that everybody feels like they're contributing to the outcome and that everybody has the common goal of what's best for Stuart in mind and rather than being divisive at all to try to find ways to work together," Mortell said.
A city manager with a long history working for the city, Mortell is returning to the job with a fresh approach.
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