Rodolfo Valladares is Alachua’s permanent city manager after the City Commission approved a three-year contract for the position during a regular meeting on Monday.

Valladares has served as interim city manager since June 2025. He formerly worked as assistant city manager after serving as the city’s director of public services for eight years.

Valladares’s parents, wife and two children attended the meeting where the city commissioners voted 3-1 to install him in the permanent position.

“Mr. Valladares is a family man and is a positive example for his colleagues,” said Vice Mayor Shirley Green Brown. “He is goal oriented, organized and embraces our city, our values, our strategic plan and our city’s roadmap to success.”

Valladares’s contract gives a $171,000 annual salary, includes civic club membership and allows a city vehicle. The contract expires in January 2029.

Commissioner Dayna Williams was absent from Monday’s meeting, and Commissioner Jacob Fletcher voted in dissent. Commissioner Jennifer Ringersen made the motion for the city attorney to draft the contract at the Jan. 12 regular meeting.

Fletcher called the contract fiscally irresponsible because of unspecified price caps for Valladares’s city vehicle, severance packages and raises. He made a motion to hold a workshop to fine tune the contract, but the other commissioners did not support it.

Also during Monday’s meeting, Valladares provided updates on the city’s project to secure live streaming services for public meetings.

Valladares said the service will aim to expand government access to all residents (especially seniors and individuals with disabilities), to complement the city’s current communications (such as the website and social media) and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for closed captioning.

He said the city advertised bids in November and December but didn’t receive any submissions. So, the city contacted a vendor and is now in negotiations with the company. Once an agreement is reached, it will come back before the City Commission for approval.