Former Portland City Manager Jon Jennings was fired from the same position he held in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday night.
Jennings left Portland in November 2021, taking up the mantle in Clearwater on the tail of the 20-year tenure of former City Manager Bill Horne, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The City Council voted 3-2 on Thursday to fire Jennings, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Jennings’ communication style was cited as one of the exacerbating factors in his dismissal, with Mayor Frank Hibbard recently noting he felt that Jennings “was the wrong fit for the city.” Clearwater city council members also cited his inability to take constructive criticism, according to the Press Herald.
Jennings left Portland amid a shakeup in city politics and criticism from a newly elected city commissioner. He also clashed often with former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling during his tenure.
He cited the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic when leaving Portland.
It was unclear if Jennings was present at Thursday’s council meeting, and he did not offer a comment, the Portland newspaper reported.
