Clearwater’s city manager is Jennifer Poirrier, the top appointed official who runs the city’s daily operations under the Clearwater City Charter. She was appointed on April 4, 2023, and reports directly to the five-member city council. The position handles everything from preparing the annual budget to hiring department heads and overseeing major infrastructure projects.1City of Clearwater. City Manager’s Office
Who Jennifer Poirrier Is
Poirrier came to Clearwater in August 2018 as assistant director of human resources. She was promoted to HR director and later rose to the top administrative job. Before joining the city, she spent more than nine years as HR director for the City of Treasure Island.1City of Clearwater. City Manager’s Office
She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business/Human Resources from the University of South Florida and an MBA in human resources from Florida Atlantic University. In October 2025, she received the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association, a professional credential that recognizes executive-level local government experience combined with ongoing professional development.1City of Clearwater. City Manager’s Office For someone with a graduate degree, the credential requires at least seven years of executive service.2ICMA. Eligibility Requirements for the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program
What the Job Actually Does
The Clearwater City Charter gives the city manager broad authority over the city’s internal operations. On personnel, the manager appoints, promotes, suspends, demotes, and removes employees and administrative officers, subject to civil service rules. The manager can also create or eliminate city departments and divisions, though that requires council approval.3Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.03, Powers and Duties of the City Manager Appointments and promotions must be made on the basis of merit and fitness, demonstrated by examination or other evidence of competence.4Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.05, Personnel System
The manager is responsible for enforcing all city laws, charter provisions, and council directives. That means turning what the council passes into actual programs, staffing decisions, and service delivery. In practice, the manager coordinates the departments that run public safety, utilities, parks, and public works.
The charter also requires the manager to keep the council fully informed about the city’s financial condition and future needs, and to make recommendations on city affairs. At the first regular meeting in November each year, the manager must submit a comprehensive public report on the city’s finances and administrative activities.3Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.03, Powers and Duties of the City Manager
Budget and Capital Projects
One of the manager’s most consequential duties is preparing and submitting the annual operating budget, a capital improvement budget, and a projected capital improvement program covering at least five years.3Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.03, Powers and Duties of the City Manager Under the city code, these documents must reach the council no later than 60 days before the end of the fiscal year.5City of Clearwater. FY 2024-2025 Annual Operating and Capital Improvement Budget
Once the council adopts the budget, the manager oversees spending. She can transfer funds within the capital budget as long as the transfer does not change a project’s scope or funding source, and any such transfers must be disclosed in the next budget review. Quarterly reports on both operating and capital budgets go to the council, including the financial condition of all active capital projects.5City of Clearwater. FY 2024-2025 Annual Operating and Capital Improvement Budget
Major capital projects currently under the manager’s oversight include construction of a new City Hall, expected to be completed by July 2026, consolidation of wastewater treatment plants required by state legislation, and stormwater improvements in North Beach. The new City Hall is a 40,000-square-foot, two-story facility designed to house several city departments and a new council chambers.5City of Clearwater. FY 2024-2025 Annual Operating and Capital Improvement Budget
How the Position Fits With the Council and Mayor
Clearwater operates under a council-manager form of government. The city council holds all legislative power, setting policy goals and passing ordinances. The city manager handles execution and does not stand for election.6Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Article II, Legislative Power
The five-member council, including the mayor, is elected at large by Clearwater voters. The mayor presides over council meetings and has a voice and vote in proceedings, but holds no veto power and no administrative duties beyond what the charter specifically requires. The charter recognizes the mayor as the city’s official head for ceremonial purposes, court processes, and military law, but operational authority sits with the city manager.7Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 2.05, Mayor Functions and Powers
The city manager attends all council meetings and can participate in discussions but cannot vote. That split keeps operational decisions grounded in professional judgment rather than election cycles.
Appointment, Pay, and Removal
The charter requires the city manager to be appointed on the basis of “administrative qualifications, experience, and training.” It does not mandate a specific degree. The manager does not need to live in Clearwater or in Florida at the time of appointment, but must establish and maintain residency within the city within one year.8Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.01, City Manager
Appointing a city manager requires an affirmative vote of four council members out of five. That is a supermajority, so broad consensus is needed before anyone takes the job. Compensation is set separately by a majority vote of all council members.9Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.02, Appointment, Removal, Compensation The FY 2024-2025 pay plan places the position in pay grade 36, with a salary range from approximately $206,238 to $329,981.10City of Clearwater. FY24-25 Pay Plan Where the actual salary falls within that range depends on the terms negotiated between the manager and the council.
The manager serves at the pleasure of the council, which can end the appointment without proving cause. The charter provides two paths for removal: either a single vote with at least four council members in favor, or a majority vote at two separate meetings held at least two weeks apart. If the manager requests it, a public hearing must be held before the removal vote.9Municode. Clearwater City Charter – Section 3.02, Appointment, Removal, Compensation The two-meeting path builds in a cooling-off period and gives the manager time to prepare a defense at a public hearing when the council is divided.
How Residents Can Engage
Clearwater residents interact with the city manager’s office more often than they might realize. The manager’s decisions determine staffing levels for police and fire services, the condition of parks, the timing of road and utility projects, and how quickly permits get processed.
Residents can attend city council meetings where the manager presents budget updates and project reports, submit public records requests for city documents, or contact the City Manager’s Office directly through the city’s website. Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, all municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person, and the custodian must respond promptly and in good faith. If part of a record is exempt, the custodian must redact only the exempt portion and release the rest.11Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 119 – Public Records Budget documents, contracts, emails, and internal reports from the manager’s office are generally accessible unless a specific statutory exemption applies.