FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Six months after taking the helm as Fort Pierce’s city manager, Richard Chess is earning high marks from city commissioners, who say he’s bringing stability and fresh direction to city operations.
“Your six months has been, you got thrown right into the deep-end and so far I'm very pleased,” Mayor Linda Hudson said during a performance review at the city commission meeting Monday.
Commissioners offered similar praise, describing Chess as a capable and strategic leader.
“You truly are a chief executive officer and I say that as a true compliment,” said Commissioner Michael Broderick. “You are skilled at it and I am confident that we are going to deal with one issue at a time.”
Chess, who previously served as Broward County’s assistant general manager of transportation, stepped into the role after former City Manager Nick Mimms was fired following his arrest last year on charges of bid rigging and official misconduct. The scandal left the city searching for steady leadership to guide its recovery.
During the selection process, Chess and City Clerk Linda Cox were the final two candidates for the role. When Chess was appointed, Broderick and Hudson were among those who opposed the decision, but both now say their perspectives have changed.
“I was very impressed with what you have, the knowledge you gained, and I think that you're a staff champion, and I appreciate that, except that you're not a pushover,” Hudson said.
Broderick also acknowledged his shift in perspective. “I was wrong and I admit it,” he said. “Change is here, it's being implemented, and you have the respect of the city commission to get this done.”
Commissioner Arnold Gaines commended Chess for his proactive approach. “I like how you have systematically started to not only attack and try to fix the problems but you are not afraid to call out the problems and bring it to our attention,” Gaines said.
After the review, Chess was granted a 5% raise in accordance with the terms of his contract. Commissioners also laid out clear expectations for his future leadership.
“I think that the King’s Landing development which has now been approved and back on, that we need to really work closely with them and make sure that that is a success because that's something that has been a long time coming,” Hudson said.
Gaines added a challenge for the city manager as he continues to settle in. “You had the first two months and you finally took off a glove. I'm asking you to take off both gloves and roll your sleeves up, and get down to doing what we hired you to do to address the issues that you know are there.”
As Chess looks ahead, city leaders say the city manager is poised to steer Fort Pierce toward progress.
