BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER— It’s official; with the contracts signed, Kimberly Hayes is the new city manager of Lake Butler and is already on the job learning her duties.
Hayes is from Bradford County but has spent most of her working life in Union. She worked with the Department of Corrections for 27 ½ years, leaving to take the position of Union County Solid Waste Director in 2018. She said she would miss her co-workers, staff, and the county commissioners, but she “saw a need and felt like she would be a good candidate (for the manager position).” She said she felt she would be an asset to help the city recover from past problems.
Hayes, 56, has been married to husband, Dale Hayes, for 30 years, and the couple has two grown children. When not working, she said she enjoys gardening, working with livestock, family time, cooking for her family, and spending time with her four grandchildren, of whom she said she was very proud.
Hayes said she knows she is facing a steep learning curve in her new position and likes it. She said she is being trained by Mayor (and former acting city manager) David Stegall, former city manager, and current Finance Director Dave Mecusker, and they are teaching her the ins and outs of her new position.
“I am up for the challenge,” Hayes said. “All you can do is grab the bull by the horns and hang on. I am excited to help the city move forward.”
