North Myrtle Beach’s city manager applied for a new job in Florida for the same position.
“I am very proud of the team I have assembled over the last 14 years and what we have accomplished,” City Manager Mike Mahaney said in an emailed statement to The Sun News. “In my opinion, we have changed North Myrtle Beach for the better forever.”
Caroline Best, the city clerk for the City of Fernandina Beach, said over the phone Tuesday that they’ve hired the executive search firm Colin Baenziger and Associates, based out of Daytona Beach Shores in Florida, to assist them in their search.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Best said the city only has Mike Mahaney’s resume. She added that she assumes the search firm has his application, but they haven’t received a copy yet.
Based on a spreadsheet provided to them by the search firm, Mahaney is one of 19 applicants as of July 8. Acccording to Best, the Fernandina Beach clerk’s office did not have any more recent records on file.
Their application portal closes on Wednesday, July 17 at 5 p.m.
Mahaney has worked as the city manager in North Myrtle Beach for the past 14 years, first starting in 2010 when he was unanimously selected by City Council.
In response to a question about why Mahaney applied to the role, he said, “I simply am exploring other options. That’s all I have to say currently.”
Along with a written statement to The Sun News, Mahaney also attached a document that lists his 31 top accomplishments as city manager.
Some of them included building a 260-acre sports complex, developing the Christmas Lights Show, earning $1.4 million in parking fees from visitors, and managing a $208 million budget and 620 employees.
In 2017, The Sun News reported that he was the top-paid employee in the City of North Myrtle Beach, making close to $211,000 a year at the time.
During his tenure with North Myrtle Beach, Mahaney has been enveloped in some controversy.
In 2022, Mahaney was investigated and cleared of any wrongdoing. He was accused of putting his hands on a local businesswoman.
A year later, in 2023, Mahaney wore a body camera to a public ceremony for the groundbreaking of Pepsi Bottling Ventures’ new 165,000-square-foot plant at the Palmetto Coast Industrial Park along Water Tower Road in North Myrtle Beach.
He declined to comment to a reporter about why the camera was worn at a public event. He later revealed the camera was not on. The Sun News reported the possible violation of city policies by even wearing the body camera.
Before getting his current job, he was previously fired from two similar positions with the city of Deerfield Beach, Florida and Nassau County, Florida, The Sun News previously reported. Mahaney told The Sun News at the time that both his past terminations were split decisions resulting from elections that brought in new leaders.
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