Clarendon names interim administrator as city searches for permanent successor

Clarendon has named Floyd Hartman interim city administrator as Brian Barboza prepares to leave the post in July 2026. The leadership change comes as the City Council considers an agreement to recruit a permanent successor through the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.

The administrator oversees daily municipal operations, placing the interim appointment alongside the city’s ongoing work on long-term streets and pedestrian improvements. Hartman’s appointment is for the transition; he has not been identified as the permanent administrator.

Recruitment agreement lists $23,615.41

The council considered an interlocal agreement for professional recruitment of the next city administrator. The June 11, 2026, agenda item listed the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission as the vendor and put the agreement’s amount at $23,615.41.

The arrangement would provide outside assistance in recruiting candidates for the permanent position. Barboza’s scheduled departure creates the need for interim leadership while that recruitment work moves forward.

Hartman’s interim role and the recruitment agreement represent separate steps. The agreement concerns the search for a permanent administrator, while Hartman is set to lead the city during the leadership transition.

The city has not identified a permanent successor or a deadline for completing the search.

Street and sidewalk plans remain under review

The council also recently reviewed a draft 30-year street improvement plan. On July 9, it discussed the long-range proposal as part of the city’s infrastructure planning.

In the same period, the council considered additional sidewalk improvements in Clarendon’s Central Business District. The discussions connect the administrator transition with projects that could affect streets and pedestrian routes over a much longer horizon than the immediate leadership change.

The street and sidewalk items remain planning matters rather than confirmed construction projects. Reviewing a draft plan and considering improvements does not establish that the proposals have received final approval or that construction has begun.

For now, Hartman is positioned to manage daily city operations as Clarendon works through the July transition. The council’s June recruitment agenda item and its July infrastructure discussions mark the latest steps in choosing long-term leadership while evaluating future street and sidewalk work.