Commissioner Scott Maxwell
City Manager, Susan Stanton, fired after 32 months.Motion made by Scott Maxwell, seconded by Andy Amoroso. Mayor Triolo voted to fire the city manager because of Triolo's vision of prosperity and respect of all people. In three weeks she determined that Susan Stanton did not have "her" vision. Amoroso didn't have a reason. When asked he said, "My motion is enough reason."
The city manager was not respected tonight and neither were all the people who were blindsided by this vote. It was obvious that the room was stacked and people had advanced knowledge of what Maxwell was going to do. This was politics at its worst in Lake Worth.
Finance Director Steve Carr was appointed acting city manager.
31 comments:
Unbelievable! I thought we were going to get a better commission.
It's long overdue. Scott was the only one who ever questioned her numbers and when he did, the rest all sat there like deer in the headlights.
Anyone who was blindsided by this action was blind beforehand. The City Manager was fatalistic whenever she spoke of her tenure. The chameleon couldn't change her color fast enough to fool the new majority. She did try though... look how fast the locked exit door was removed and the frost taken off the side door to the chamber.
The residents spoke at the last election.
I wish her well in the new position in her career and in her life.
Long over due. Stanton was a bully. I applaud our new Commission for making the tough choices.
Oh, I really, really, really hope they know what they're doing up there.
OMG. We have a new commission and now get more of the same. No one used their brains tonight.
Amoroso and Triolo both said to me that it was not their intent to fire the city manager. They would give her a chance. 3 weeks is NOT a chance. They were all in collusion--it was obvious. So, yes, we were blindsided. We were not blind before--we just like to believe in public officials. We can't. Power changes people.
This town's politics are so toxic and poisonous, on both sides. What person in their right mind would want the job at this point? Certainly nobody who was really good and talented, which is exactly what this City needs. That leaves us where, exactly? Maybe we should stop looking at people up on the dias to cast blame, and start looking at ourselves. I for one think we should all be hanging our heads in shame over what happened this evening.
No real reasons were given. What a bunch.
I'll say one thing: Pam, Any and Scott fired their last excuse tonight. They better govern their asses off, because from now on there is no one left to blame if anything goes wrong.
Very, very true, anon @ 9:53.
It is just keeping of an unadvertised campaign promise to supporters who disliked her.
What will it cost the city? It was probably a bad move simply on monetary grounds. If there is not a savings to offset the cost of early contract termination, the new commissioners have lost their credibility as business-savvy and frugal. I have endured their supporters talking about finding out where every last paperclip and pencil are funded from. Paying off Ms. Stanton's contract will be a boatload of paperclips. But it's not Maxwell's money, so what does he care? It's easy to cut broad straps from another man's leather.
Last night the library board voted to fund about $100,000 of the 2012 budget from the trust funds. Did we just subsidize the dismissal of the city manager?
Sam Goodstein
Agreed anon@9:53.
And really, firing her after so little time? I am disappointed.
-SK
Merry, merry Christmas to you too Pam, Andy and Scott.
It was well worth the 75k to finally remove one of the biggest obstacles for our city to move toward the kind of prosperity and acheivements that the real majority of the Lake Worth residents and not the agendas the the elected officials think is best for us. I was a human resource manager for a decade and the only time it was easy for me to fire somone was when they were stealing . I don't doubt that with her credentials and experience she will find viable employment elsewhere. I had to encounters where she grossly disrespected me with yelling, slamming hands on her desk and addressing me with truck driver profanity. Let's not forget all the stellar Direcgors that were treated like something stuck under her shoe calling them worthless and other choice vulgar words I won't repeat.
I am glad that this now opens the door for a city manager that can bring people together through real professionalism which ALWAYS includes respect! This is long overdue and the doubters have a right to their opinion, concerns and fears. My suggestion is give this enough time to unfold and give testament that this was the BEST decision for our staff and residents that cherish respect from an employee they pay with their taxes.
I have already begun praying, minutes after I heard the good news on my computer from the city's website live audio, for someone I know would be the one of the best City Manager our city would have the honor of hiring. I won't mention the name because I don't want to jinx it. Let's just say it is somone who knows our city, inside and out, a unifier, a dynamic down to earth person who would be a welcomed addition to this city by many!
Bravo to the Scott, our new Mayor Pam and new commissioner Andy for having the chutzpah to make a tough unpopular decision but one that was, YES, long overdue.
Mark A. Parrilla
Anon @ 9:20 I completely agree with you. We do need to look to ourselves. Am I mean-spirited, angry, hostile, overly aggressive, self-serving, arrogant and critical? Do I blame the city or someone for everything that is wrong? I am ashamed tonight and I feel sorry for our city.
There will be a big saving for the City. You will see the court lawsuits negotiations.
Why did the Mayor say she struggled all weekend over what to do? Did she know? Was it discussed, or was it as Lazyland said – an unadvertised campaign promise?
And S. Williams, Scott Maxwell is not a bully? Really?
Nice pic of Scott.
http://survivorsstories.yolasite.com/resources/benito-mussolini.jpg
She treated a lot of citizens very poorly and was not out in the streets getting her feet dirty. She was rude and obnoxious, acted superior to many and talked down to many and was very condescending, it was her own fate that brought this on, due to her own behavior over the years. The only one Stanton can blame is herself.
She was her own worst enemy, she was her own demise, she brought it on herself by the way she treated so many people, people here in this small quaint town want someone nice who will be kind to them, Stanton was not that person. She will be OK, she needs to go to a bigger city, they will accept her brashiness more than we can here. It is not the end of the world, lessons were learned by all of us.
You guys act like Andy and Pam just walked into town. They've lived here long enough and pay enough attention to see Stanton should have been fired long ago. Dictatorship and bullying are not the leadership qualities a "profoundly broken city" needs.
It will be an easy task to find a better replacement.
As if it's needed this is just further confirmation that the Best Commission Ever had no idea what they were doing. The problem now is cleaning up their little kid messes.
Power has gone to their heads in a very short time. NO one ever even heard of Pam Triolo. She never went to one commission meeting nor did she attend any NA meeting. Andy will do whatever Andy wants. Did he ask you if you wanted to fire the CM? F%^& these people.
So much for government in the sunshine.
Each commissioner needs to work directly with the City Manager. They need to trust the information they receive from the CM to make the important decisions that they make. Stanton was a pro at the deception game. She controled City Hall and only she knew the real numbers behind the budget. All those balanced budgets she gave us the past two years were jokes. Our reserves are gone. We are being sued by so many our legal fees are through the roof. Can you imagine being a newly elected commissioner and your City Manager gives you hundreds of pages of financials days before a meeting and expects you to figure it out. How can you question her authority if you can't understand the data your presented. The gig was up last night and Stanton got the boot. Since I don't have to work with her I leave it up to my elected officials to decide what they need and want in a CM. The buck stops with them and that's why we have elections every two years. Time for new leadership that people can trust.
Stanton was able to lead Golden, Mulvehill and Mcoy around because they are weak minded. That doesn't make her right.
Stanton is recognized by those in her field as an excellent manager. She attracted an A-list team of people who have worked night and day with her to clean up the city hall cesspool left by two previous CMs (toads). This is a very bad situation for our city and I don't see it turning out well.
Joe Kroll doesn't deserve to be city manager just because he circumvented process and policy to install a speed bump in front of Mark Parilla's house (15' from a stop light. REALLY???) That was a waste of taxpayer dollars right there, but Mark doesn't care, and apparently neither did Joe Kroll. He is a second-rate engineer with no qualifications to be a manager. And I don't see the A-Team hanging around to work for a guy who tried to justify a $42 fee increase by mumbling something about rubber wearing off of tires.
The new commission is turning out to be a disappointment. Never thought I'd wish for a level-headed anarchist to be sitting up there again.
Susan Stanton decided her own fate by her actions and attitude towards residents, business owners, staff, and elected officials.
Everyone is entitled to have an opinion about this decision. But to viciously attack someone for having a differing view, even through implications as done by Steve Ellman in his comment on 12/7/11 at 12:18 a.m. is unnecessary and divise.
Dear 2:13 pm - It is a picture. It is accurate. It clearly shows what is on the inside. That is not a vicious attack - do you go to the meetings? Do you see? it is a fact.
Yes, it is a picture of a Nazi! Remind me of when Cara Jennings called him a White Supremacist. I do go to meetings and probably more than you. Were you there last night or 11/1, 11/15, 10/18, 10/19, or any other date? Mr. Maxwell did not make this motion without much thought.
To the poster who just tried to come over here with a damaging and inflammatory personal attack on Stanton and her reputation, please support that sort of thing by 1) posting with your real name that is verifiable and 2) the facts wtih links or testimony.
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