Dangerous Petty Politics and Vendettas - it's all about control

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"Everything said and done, at the end of the day, we get the government we deserve and deserve the government we get."
~ P. Ramakrishnan
http://www.malaysia.net/aliran/ms991130.htm

And that's what we have now at Lake Worth City Hall. This is a new government that wants to spend your tax dollars and make unwise choices. Why are they doing this? Because Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell says that it's his ball game now and he's the heavy hitter. Triolo and Amoroso are listening to Maxwell and following his lead. The Mayor's personality is even changing just like a chameleon.

Yesterday was just another waste of 3.5 hours to listen to the visionary Commission beat down all common sense. They took no advice from the professionals, the staff, or the other side of that 3/2 vote or even Kurt Bressner who is with the International City/County Management Association's Range Rider program. They dissed everyone. They knew better.

It was a heavy handed meeting with free speech even impugned. The mayor was rude to McVoy and Mulvehill calling points of order at least three times whenever they said something she did not want to hear. I thought that the Mayor was going to give an explanation as to why she fired the city manager. But that was not to be. Any reference to that action she called a Point of Order and raised her voice. The heckling in the back of the room should have been recognized. That would have been a point of order well worthwhile.

Assistant City Manager, Kathleen Margoles, has no idea how lucky she got--how lucky she is that Scott Maxwell can't stand her because his ego was bruised when she failed to give him some information that he insisted on having on beach leases. It doesn't take much to get on his bad side. When he says jump, you had better ask how high.

She got turned down to be the Interim City Manager on a political 3/2 vote (the entire meeting seemed like a Sunshine violation--already decided and pre-determined) with two weak excuses for not appointing the assistant city manager who has worked for Lake Worth for the past year:

1) The beach redevelopment and casino project. Margoles is in charge of that, although it is a team effort she said.

2) The other excuse for not appointing her was that she has only been in the job for one month as an assistant CM with the implication that she did not have the experience. When she got her title changed from Assistant to the City Manager making $68,500 to Assistant City Manger with a 10% raise, it was stated publicly that her job description was the same, that she was doing all of the duties of an assistant city manager anyway. At that time, Stanton said that her assistant job was worth $110,000 a year, not the $75,350 she is making. They would rather hire a total stranger unfamiliar with our city.

Looking out for her professional reputation, and rightfully so, Margoles stated that she wanted $120,000 as Interim City Manager which would have been 10,000 a month for 4 months. Bressner said that we would be paying a pro-rata rate based probably on the salary we were paying Stanton, or $150,000 a year to an outside replacement. As Margoles described her duties past and present, Maxwell rolled his eyes. Triolo and Amoroso said, "Gee we really think you're qualified but..." Maxwell insisted on a "fresh, new face."

Why is she lucky? Because Scott Maxwell can't terminate her employment. He could have done that if she were Interim City Manager and the commission did not have to re-instate her to her former position unless, of course, she had negotiated that in her contract.

Steve Carr, Finance Director, highly recommended her for the position saying, "You pay me to give you the best advice that I can give to you. Margoles can handle the beach and the Interim City Manager position." He further said, "The recruitment of a City Manager is arguably the most important decision any City Commission must make. The recruitment process is also one that, generally, few City Commissions have experience and expertise in designing and implementing."

The new visionary commission DID NOT listen to Mr. Carr, the second highest paid department head in the city next to the Utility Director.

Nor did they listen to the advice of Mr. Kurt Bressner of the Range Riders when he gave his professional opinion and strongly recommended that they hire a national search firm to find a new city manager and to retain Kathleen Margoles as interim city manager.

With National firms attracting the best, this new commission of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso, didn't listen to him any more than they listened to Steve Carr. They knew better than the professionals. "We want local people to send in their resumes. Our staff can do the work," they said. Maxwell asked about hiring a former employee for the job. Rumor has it that his supporters want to bring in Joe Kroll, (who would be nuts to take this job) who is someone they like who dutifully always performed what was asked by them. We don't need "yes" men in this position. That's when Commissioner Mulvehill stepped in--"No, Commissioner Maxwell. You said that you wanted a fresh, new face."

The new visionary commission DID NOT listen to Mr. Bressner who they invited to give them professional advice. They did not take any of his advice but hired him anyway?? Does he know what he's getting into? Wasn't there some sort of handwriting on the wall for Mr. Bressner? Of course, as a volunteer, he can quit at will.

We now will have the Range Riders searching for an interim city manager who will be in our employ for approximately 4 months who will not know one thing about our city. The Range Riders will also be in charge of finding a permanent city manager. Time is of the essence and our city has complicated issues probably more so than any other city in the State plus it owns its own Utility. Bressner and his group are only volunteers so they will work for us without compensation as their time allows.

The visionaries who fired Susan Stanton have no problem spending money. Now strangely and ironically they want to cost cut and use a volunteer group and gather local resumes for the most important job in our city and at a most important time? As this new commission has spent an ungodly sum firing Susan Stanton with no explanation, they are now trying to make up for this reckless action by ignoring professional advice to hire a national firm estimated to be at the low end of the cost of approximately $20,000 to $35,000. You have to ask why.

• Stanton severance pay: $125,000

• Range Rider services: $5 to $8,000 plus travel and office expenses.

• New City Manager: Range of $140,000 to $160,000 a year

• Pay PBSO for background checks

• An Interim-City Manager: $50,000 for 4 months plus benefits...another employee expense.

• Pile on more work for staff to check out resumes. What if they miss something essential? Who's accountable? Scott Maxwell?

• Go through all of this time and expense for what? Bressner told them that the current staff is top notch and policies in place were excellent. So all in all, we are spending a lot of money to find someone with the same qualifications of our former city manager, but someone who perhaps will be more flexible.
  

Saving money in this fashion may not save money at all. You get what you pay for. Even conducting studies were mocked by the Mayor. Time will tell if the Visionaries took the right course and if they will start taking professional advice or if they will continue to have all of the answers with staff taking a back seat.

Although they say we get the government we deserve I can't help but believe that none of us deserve these latest decisions from this commission, their lack of respect for staff and money, Mr. Bressner, some of the public and other points of view. Respect, once again, was not shown yesterday. Petty controlling politics and vendettas prevailed that do not benefit this city.

Theory: total Control of City Hall administration
1. It was planned all along to fire Susan Stanton. Triolo and Amoroso got roped into the deception and now are prominent members of the "club," the Visionaries.
2. As no three people can possibly be this stupid, they are looking to control the resumes, control the process, control it all.
3. They shunned advice from Steve Carr for whom they have high regard. Why? He is the only employee, per Maxwell, that is qualified to step in as temporary city manager. Instead, they have forced him to act as interim, dual responsibilities, awhile longer. He has told them that this is a bad decision.
4. They ignored Bressner. They did the same with him as they did with Carr and then they appointed him to do the searchs. Why? Control.
5. They possibly want to hire "yes man" Joe Kroll as city manager, someone who previously reached his Peter Principal. Maxwell even asked about hiring a former employee. Why would he do this? Control.
6. They have a secret Agenda known only to themselves, unrevealed to the public. They are listening to some of their most vocal supporters, the Dirty Dozen, who have no respect for anyone but themselves. Why? Control.
7. Scott Maxwell really is King, not a vice mayor.

Read The Palm Beach Post article on the meeting.