Another candidate has withdrawn from the running for the position of Alachua County Manager.
Stockton Whitten, the current deputy manager for Brevard County, sent an email to Commissioner Mike Byerly Monday saying that accepting the position was not the best choice for he and his family right now. Whitten will remain in his current position in Brevard.
The news comes just one week after learning that the county’s first choice, James Bourey, would not be accepting the $160,000 contract for the same position.
The Alachua County Board of Commissioners will now begin negotiations with Randy Oliver, the former county administrator for Escambia County and the county’s third-ranked choice for county manager.
If Oliver does not accept the position, or if he has already accepted a position in another city, the county will consider starting the entire process over to find new candidates. The county’s current manager, Richard Drummond, is set to retire his post at the end of the summer.