The Destin City Council voted 6-0 Monday to authorize contract negotiations with Interim City Manager Larry Jones for the permanent position, with a proposed total compensation package not to exceed $255,000 — a reduction from the previous city manager’s compensation.

• The motion, initiated by Councilman Jim Bagby, includes specific terms requiring Jones to work five days per week and limit his outside consulting work. Jones will be permitted to maintain one existing client relationship that requires only two phone calls monthly.

“I am personally very happy with the job that Mr. Jones has done,” Bagby said during the council meeting. “No one has conveyed to me anything negative about his performance or about him.”

The proposed compensation package represents an $18,375 reduction from former City Manager Louis Zunguze’s total package of $273,375. Under the arrangement, Jones will operate as a contract employee rather than a regular city employee, providing his own healthcare and benefits.

Councilman Kevin Schmidt supported the decision, noting Jones’ performance since stepping into the interim role. “I think Larry did a fantastic job coming in here. I think we got to take advantage of what we have available to us right now,” Schmidt said.

Jones, who previously served as a county manager, addressed the demands of the position during the council meeting. “My day starts when the first one of you gets out of bed in the morning and it’s not over until the last one goes to sleep at night,” he said. “And that’s seven days a week…and it has to be that way in order to be effective.”

Earlier in the evening, Jones reappointed former City Manager Louis Zunguze to his previous role as Community Development Director. Zunguze, who has been on medical leave since late summer, is returning to a position he previously held from December 2018 to June 2024. 

• The Community Development Director position had recently been vacated, and per Destin’s charter, such director-level appointments must be brought before the council.

The final contract will require five council votes for approval. Jones expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “It’s a blessing that I’m able to be here and be a part of what you’re doing. I think you have a great staff. I look forward to if we can move this thing forward to spending time to help do good things for it.”