Longtime Sanford city manager retires, months before city welcomes new mayor

The City of Sanford will be looking for a new city manager after the current leader resigned this week.Norton Bonaparte Jr. announced his retirement Monday, effective Oct. 14.The longtime chief administrator for the city’s government has served for 15 years. The city operates under a council-manager form of government, which means the city manager oversees daily operations and manages the budget. The mayor and city commission set overall policies and ordinances.“Norton Bonaparte has been a true asset to the City of Sanford, leading the City through multiple issues including the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, the historic COVID pandemic, the revitalization of downtown Sanford, and significant hurricane recoveries. Because of his leadership, the City is well positioned to continue to move forward as a place where people want to live, work, and play,” said Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff in a news release.The city says Assistant City Manager Craig Radzak will be interim city manager starting Oct.