Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer announces resignation

Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer announced, during the Oct. 14 City Commission meeting, that his tenure would be coming to an end.

"I'd like to thank everyone here; the residents of Winter Garden, and staff, and this commission. I've been here 25 years and tonight I'm turning in my 30-day notice," he said at the end of the meeting.

According to the City of Winter Garden website: Bollhoefer earned his Bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Florida in 1992, and his Masters of Public Administration in 2003 from Troy State University. He joined the City of Winter Garden in 1996 as a temporary employee and worked his way up to Finance Director, and ultimately to City Manager.

Bollhoefer and his wife will be moving to Frederick County, Virginia where he has accepted the position of County Administrator. "My wife and I decided it was time for a change in our life," he said. "We wanted to go somewhere with some hills, trees, more of a rural area; so it's really more of a change of location and life."

Winter Garden Mayor John Rees proposed a motion to promote Assistant City Manager - Public Services Jon Williams to City Manager. "I think anytime you can promote from within it works well with all of your employees," said Rees. Williams' new contract will be on a future meeting agenda and, upon approval, would take effect at the end of Bollhoefer's 30-day notice and last 6 months, until the appointment of a permanent replacement.