Apopka Interim City Administrator Radley Williams.
By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
It seemed inevitable.
The Apopka City Council was set to vote on ratifying Interim City Administrator Radley Williams as permanent administrator during its September 17th meeting.
Related: Meet Radley Williams - The steady hand managing Apopka’s city government.
Mayor Bryan Nelson, who recommended Williams for the position, gave a glowing review of him in a statement to The Apopka Voice just two days before the meeting.
"Radley began his career as a Recreational Assistant in Lake Mary in 2004," Nelson said. "He graduated from UCF in 2008 and received his Master's degree from UCF in 2011. He rose in the ranks at Lake Mary to Assistant Parks and Rec Director before coming to Apopka. We hired Radley in 2022 as our Parks and Recreation Director, and in 2024, he took on the additional role of Facilities Coordinator as well. He began his new role as Interim City Administrator earlier this year and has hit the ground running, rolling up his sleeves and making a difference. He is a great communicator, not only with staff but also with the public. We are excited to see how far Radley Williams can take our city forward."
But things got weird before the agenda item made it to the Council.
"I've heard the recent public discourse about my recommended ratification as a permanent city administrative position," Williams said.
The primary criticism came from The Apopka Critic, a local Facebook page with over 15,000 followers. He posted this statement on Wednesday morning before the City Council meeting:
"Apopka, we could do better!
Today, Ratifying Radley Williams as City Administrator in the permanent role of City Administrator? Presented by: Bryan Nelson, Mayor.
Understand that I like Radley Williams. I think he did a good job as recreation director. But his qualifications are just not there. The city is in bad shape, and we don't have time for on-the-job training.
As usual, the mayor will place another person into a high position as City Manager, which normally requires a high degree of experience and training. Instead, he selects a person with limited experience to run the second-largest city in Orange County.
The Mayor appears to believe that on-the-job training, under his guidance, is sufficient to prepare an individual with no relevant qualifications. It's almost like saying a chicken teaching an eagle how to fly.
Radley's qualifications are primarily in the recreation field management. Will Radley be ratified solely based on the mayor's decision, while the city council's vote remains ceremonial? I would like to see the Council vote no and find a more experienced applicant.
What do you think?
Am I wrong?"
The post received 25 likes and 28 comments.
"The last thing I want to be is a detriment or distraction to the city or Apopka government's operations," Williams said. "Rather, my goal is to do everything I can to be an asset to the city, bringing positive ideas and outcomes. So with that said, I understand if at this time the Council would like to pull that item from the agenda. Regardless, I'll continue to bring the best of my abilities to the city on a daily basis, in whatever capacity the city is asking of me."
With that, the Council moved on, offering no discussion, no response, and no clear indication of what came next. Even Nelson offered only a pause before transitioning into the next agenda item.
"Okay. Proclamations," Nelson said, leaving the matter hanging.
The Council's silence was surprising and notable given Williams' trajectory within Apopka government. Hired as Parks and Recreation Director in 2022, he quickly became a central figure in city leadership, overseeing major projects like the all-inclusive playground at the Northwest Recreation Complex, the Action Sports Park, and the $13.1 million amphitheater renovation funded through an Orange County tourism grant. Earlier this year, Nelson tapped Williams to step in as interim administrator after Nelson terminated Jacob Smith.
In August, Williams told The Apopka Voice in an interview that he viewed his interim role as "coming in and providing some stability and assisting our departments where I can."
One of his key contributions was restructuring the city's Public Services Department into two entities—Public Works and Utility Operations—to streamline oversight and improve efficiency. But despite those accomplishments, his permanent appointment has sparked debate on local social media.
Under a proposed employment agreement, Williams was set to earn $187,571 annually. As city administrator, he would have the authority to supervise department heads, manage day-to-day operations, and make most personnel decisions.
In another social media post on The Apopka Critic page, Commissioner Diane Velazquez defended Williams.
"Since Radley’s appointment to Interim CAO, he accepted a position, filling a void that was essential to the productivity of the City, which required him to take on many more responsibilities," she said. "He has done so with Integrity & professionalism, overseeing additional departments. He has an open door & to date has been responsive to every issue presented to him. He is the intermediary on behalf of the Commissioner(s) addressing & responding to the council's needs & inquiries & requests.
She also thought Nelson should have stepped up for Williams after his offer to table the vote.
"The Mayor should have advocated for him during the meeting; he is the Strong Mayor," she said. "Silence followed when Interim CAO Radley withdrew the Agenda item. It was an opportunity for the Mayor to share with the council & public his reason to ratify his position."
For now, though, the question of whether he will lead Apopka as its next permanent city administrator remains unanswered.
