BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER—Mayor David Stegall is finally going to get some time off – after he smooths the transition for new City Manager Kim Hayes, that is.
Stegall moved to the Providence area with his family in 1977 and eventually moved to Starke. In 2010, he moved back to Lake Butler and plans to stay put.
Stegall was appointed mayor by the Lake Butler City Commission in July 2023. He was first elected to that body in 2020, holding Seat 1.
He worked in Starke for Horizon Global Americas (formerly Draw-Tite Hitch Co.). He was with the company for 27 years, the last 17 as a Distribution Center Manager. Then, the company was bought out, and the new owners downsized the operation, shutting down several distribution centers, including the one in Starke. Stegall did not want to leave the area to stay in the new company’s employ, so he accepted a generous severance package and determined to take a little time off since he had not taken a vacation in several years. His last day at the distribution center was April 29, 2023, and he relaxed for a couple of months, beginning his search for a new job in July. Then, the city found itself without a manager, and Stegall volunteered to fill the position as acting city manager until one could be found – that happened on August 24, 2023. He put his job search on hold and spent the next 3 ½ months coming to city hall daily to try and help make sense of the city finances.
“It was just good luck that I was available when the city needed me,” Stegall said.
Stegall’s run as acting city manager ended on Jan. 18 with the first day of newly hired city manager Kimberly Hayes. For the duration of his time in the post, Stegall was paid nothing by the city – in fact, his service saved Lake Butler $39,729, what a city manager’s salary would have been for that time. He will remain in his role as mayor until July when the commission reorganizes after this year’s election.
Stegall is no longer running the city daily, but at City Hall, he is still there to assist Hayes in learning the job, and he plans to stay around until he finds a job. And he also plans to continue as a public servant (as a city commissioner) after that. He brought in former city manager Dave Mecusker in late September 2023 as a temporary budget analyst while he was acting manager. In December, Mecusker was appointed to the also-vacant finance director position.
“All the time the commission was looking for candidates, my goal was to work to create stability so the new manager coming in would walk into a smooth transition,” Stegall said. “I love the city of Lake Butler and wanted to help it recover from the previous bad management it had been subjected to.”
Stegall said he thought Hayes was a good fit for the manager position and was pleased that the city would continue to move forward with her at the helm. He said she would face a tight year with the budget but that the city was in good hands. He expressed his confidence in her abilities to continue to work to improve operations.
Stegall said that everyone in the city has supported his efforts. He also said he was very thankful to the staff, his fellow commissioners, and the people of Lake Butler for their understanding and confidence during his time as acting city manager.
“Everything we have done was a team effort,” Stegall said, “and it took everyone to get us where we are today.”
