Mike Mahaney’s Career and ControversiesMike Mahaney’s Career and Controversies Michael “Mike” Mahaney, a seasoned public administrator, has applied for the position of city manager in Fernandina Beach, Florida, amid ongoing controversies in his current role as city manager of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Work History: * County Manager, Nassau County, New York (2004-2007) * City Manager, Deerfield Beach, Florida (2008-2010) * City Manager, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (2010-Present) Controversies in North Myrtle Beach: * Alleged physical assault of a local kayak shop owner in May 2022. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence. * Confrontations with merchants and business owners in the Main Street and Ocean Boulevard area. * City citation issued to a restaurant owner in 2020 for alleged violation of COVID-19 regulations. The jury found the owner not guilty. Education: * Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University * Master of Public Administration, James Madison University Despite these controversies, Mahaney has served as North Myrtle Beach’s city manager for over a decade and has experience managing large budgets and staff. His application for the Fernandina Beach position highlights his qualifications and extensive work history, although the potential impact of the controversies remains to be seen.
After ongoing controversies, including confrontations with merchants, staff, and (recently) elected city officials from North Myrtle Beach, Mike Mahaney has applied for a job in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Mahaney was hired and has served as North Myrtle Beach city manager since 2010.
He previously held the same position for 40 years in other municipalities.
Mike Mahaney is one of 18 candidates for the position of city manager in Fernandina Beach, Florida, with less than a week to go before applications close.
Work History
From 2004 to 2007, Mahaney was county manager of Nassau County. Nassau County is located in New York State.
His next job was as city manager in Deerfield Beach, Florida, where he stayed for two years before being fired in 2010. He earned $180,000 a year and supervised 798 employees. When he was hired, he told the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel that he left the county manager position because of political changes.
Mahaney is currently the city manager of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he has 680 employees and oversees a budget of $208 million in a city that welcomes millions of tourists each year.
Mike Mahaney – Past Controversies
His confrontations with North Myrtle Beach merchants made headlines.
In 2022, the owner of a local kayak shop alleged that Mike Mahaney assaulted her during a meeting to discuss the future of her business. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated the May 10, 2022, incident and sent its findings to Attorney Jimmy Richardson of the 15th Circuitwho wrote back that the state would not proceed with a prosecution, given the high threshold for proving an assault “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
His encounters with local merchants “near” Main Street and Ocean Boulevard are legendary.
In 2020, MyrtleBeachSC NewS reported: The City of North Myrtle Beach issued a citation to restaurant owner Weldon Boyd on May 8, 2020, for “allegedly” violating Governor Henry McMaster’s Covid Emergency Mandate 2020-10.
The jury deliberated for a total of 4 minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty for Weldon Boyd and Buoys Restaurant.
Mahaney earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Master of Public Administration from James Madison University.
