The City Manager is appointed by the City Commission, and serves as the administrative head of the City. His duties and responsibilities include: to see that all laws and ordinances are enforced; to appoint and remove employees; to supervise departments and divisions, including the public utilities owned by the City; to enforce franchises; to attend all commission meetings; to make recommendations to the commission for adoption of such measures as he deems necessary or beneficial to the City; to keep the commission fully advised as to the financial condition and needs of the city and to submit for its consideration an annual budget; and to perform all other duties as prescribed under the charter or by ordinance or resolution. He also serves as the purchasing agent for the City.

City Manager, Jay Evans came to Leesburg in October 2004. He is a native Floridian and has spent most of his life in the Orlando area. Mr. Evans holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Central Florida. He has most recently served as the Town Manager of the Town of Oakland, Florida, and Concurrency Manager of Osceola County, Florida. His background includes budgeting, grant writing, growth management, capital facilities planning, and construction project management.

Deputy City Manager, Edward F Smyth, Jr., came to Leesburg in August 2002 from Mathews County, Virginia where he had served as Assistant County Administrator. He is a credentialed local government manager by the International City/County Management Association. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University, a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Loretto Heights College, and a Certificate in Public Management from Florida State University. Ed’s background is in Emergency Management & Operations, Organizational Change & Development, Intergovernmental Relations, Customer Service and Strategic Planning.