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"He's an intelligent, positive, effective leader who has already inspired staff, our commission and our community with his compassion and no-nonsense, proactive solutions."
~ Mayor Pam Triolo
Speaking on Lake Worth, "It's a major challenge, but it's also got good bones."
~ City Manager Michael Bornstein
"Bornstein's team approach to problem-solving will help the city meet the challenge ahead."
~ Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell
"Comparing Bornstein to Stanton might not be fair because much of Stanton's attention went to cutting the budget to keep the city from going belly-up."
~ Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill
"Michael Bornstein seems to be a happy soul and seems to be happy with the job. I suspect his stamina has not yet been measured."
~ Barbara Jean Weber
"Bornstein is a diplomat and a politician. Stanton, on the other hand, was the no-nonsense administrator who had to make hard, difficult decisions and could not be snookered."
~ Lynn's Little Bit of Trivia
"I am happy to know that Mr. Bornstein is interested in history. You have to know where you've been to know where you're going."
~ Dennis Dorsey, former Mayor
"I'm more interested in results than a warm and fuzzy workplace. I will reserve judgment until Bornstein does something substantive."
~ Laurel Decker, former member of the LW Finance Advisory Board
Let's hear from you!
I will not be accepting any negative remarks on former city managers.
23 comments:
Budget discussions are coming up. That will tell the tale. Do we cut more or tax more?
But I will be accepting any negative comments you want to submit about Mr. Bornstein!
Well Lynne, ole gal, I don't expect any negative comments on Mr. Bornstein. The ONLY people who come on this blog with negative comments LUV Mr. Bornstein.
This blog is about MR. BORNSTEIN. It is not a slug fest for all those who hate a previous CM.
It will be refreshing to work with this CM I hope, others in the past never wanted to be bothered by citizens or even hear from us. Most were condescending and gave way too much attitude to so many of us. I hope this new CM will be more open to listening and addressing some of the ongoing issues of blight and codes that have parts of the city looking like slums still. We need and deserve someone who cares and will listen and be proactive to get the work done. Lake Worth is a great city and we deserve quality leaders, no more mediocrity. Welcome CM Bornstein!
Well, he was in Lantana for an awful long time. Is that a city that comes to mind when you think about cleaning up blight? Not for me. What did he do in Lantana? Anything? We've turned our city over to someone who has nothing to show for 12 years of work. I would have been happy to get rid of someone so low-performing. Why did our commission hire someone like that with such a mediocre track record?
And what does "team approach to problem solving" mean? That's just BS. If you want compassion at city hall, hire a chaplain. Not a $135K city manager. Stanton was no-nonsense. Is it just better with a big grin, a bow tie, and a git-tar?
Stanton didn't have time to ass-kiss the neighborhood groups, she was working 16 hour days for two years. I haven't seen Bornstein's car at city hall after hours ONCE since he arrived. Maybe if he worked a little harder, Lantana wouldn't be such a dump.
His car is missing in action. What apt did he rent at the lucerne?
Holy crap. He rented at the Lucerne? I missed that. Sounds like he's totally in touch with the community.
The same thing that happened to Stanton and Obama can happen to Bornstein.
We pick someone who we think stands for hope and change and to show how excepting and progressive we are. Then when they fall short and have to make the tough decisions, and can't deliver what they promised and become arrogant and uncaring, we turn the heat up. Some can handle it... some can't.
60 days is not enough time to evaluate Mr. Bornstein. He has much to do. But he has not let any moos grow under his feet.
I think it's great he moved into the Lucerne. Talk about wanting to be in the middle of things.
To the one who asked what he accomplished in Lantana...he kept them from going broke and ran a city for many years without getting a lot of negative publicity from news media and had many people from Lantana say we are getting a great CM.
If you haven't seen Mr. Bornstein's car after hours ONCE since he started work, then you haven't been looking. I have seen it and him at City Hall numerous times after hours, He doesn't have to park in the parking spot with the sign saying "Reserved for City Manager" to be there. And if he is living downtown, maybe he walks to work.
Way to soon to tell.
Is that all he accomplished? And you think that is sufficient for the salary we're paying him?? Did he make anything better? What has improved in Lantana in the last 12 years??
And when Stanton gets a job (and she will) there will be a lot of people saying her new city is getting a great CM. Big deal.
Lake Worth gets negative publicity because of its loud mouth residents, not past CMs. Stanton got very positive publicity. The Palm Beach Post loved her. And she didn't have to dress like a dork or bring her toys to work with her. She brought solid, positive change that Bornstein will rest his laurels upon.
I agree, six weeks is not enough time to make a judgment. But 12 years is.
Many people from Lantana said we were getting a great CM? More like four of his friends and the commissioners who probably couldn't wait to get someone more dynamic. If he was sooooo great, why didn't they try to keep him?
lynn, dont you think for a minute that all these posts, or at least the majority of these posts are coming from the same person? nobody can be hated this much this fast....
Brutus are you still trying to get Olive Oil to be yours? When Stanton gets a new CM job as you are sure she will, you can move there and lead the choir as they sing her praises. I heard there were some "toys" in the previous CM's office too. Lantana didn't have a drastic loss of property values like Lake Worth and it certainly hasn't had the flood of law suits that Lake Worth has seen. Finally, IMHO wearing a bow tie does not make a man look like a dork. How absurd to judge someone by his choice of neckwear.
Could be...you never know. It might be the same person pumping for Bornstein. Whatever, no one hates Bornstein. They are pointing out things that we all should think about. How could anyone HATE Michael Bornstein?
4:31 ABOVE--
What you said sounds good but it's not the facts. Boynton Beach, Lantana and Greenacres fared the worst right after LW. And since you misrepresented the facts on property values, please provide the number of law suits Lantana does have.
One with the City of Lake Worth.
any other lawsuits have to do with personal matters.
I remember the mayor of lantana that night telling the commission to hire Mike. He kept pushing him on to the city commission. You take him he kept insisting. Minds were already made up and lantana went on to someone else.
Do us a favor, call him and invite him to come to your neighborhood to walk around and show him your concerns in your area you live in, let's see what he does and what he will do if anything to improve life in the area you live in. We can really test his sincerity and responsiveness to citizens and the community by seeing if he really cares and will work toward making this city better. What is his stand on addressing blight? What has he done so far? What will he do? We need to hold our city leaders accountable for a quality city, we cannot accept any more mediocrity here.
I don't hate Bornstein and I'm not spreading falsehoods about toys in someone's office. I've heard a lot of things around this city, doesn't mean I post them here. I'm simply asking questions and stating my opinion. I'll leave the rumors, gossip, and innuendo for you to waste time with.
And I happen to think that bow ties are dorky. And sans-a-belt pants. And bowling shoes.
While I strongly disagree with the new majority commission methods, ambush tactics, lack of reasoning & good timing in firing Susan Stanton –it’s not Bornstein’s fault how he got there, and it’s up to him to prove himself.
I wish the new CM good luck and pray he has the long-term interest of the City and its citizens at the top of his agenda. I agree with previous poster that the test will be how he handles the 2013 budget.
From what I’ve seen so far, I’m not impressed. (Nor was his long, sleepy term in Lantana an exceptional one. Biggest highlight was the police chief scandal on his way out of town.) One of Mr. Bornstein’s first moves in LW: To ease his work load by reducing the CM report from weekly to bi-monthly. Does anyone remember what the CM report was like before Susan Stanton? --Oh that’s right, it didn’t exist!
Bornstein is playing politics, which is to be expected, since he is an “at will” employee in an extremely politically volatile city. Just hope he & the new majority commission don’t destroy all the good work that’s been done in LW in the past decade.
Advice to Mr. Bornstein: keep your resume up to date. Let’s face it, the CM job in Lake Worth is not a long term position. I’ve lived here 20 years (my family’s been in LW since 1929) –but I didn’t really get involved until around 2000. Since then, LW has had 5 City Managers: Wendy Newmeyer, Paul Boyer, Robert Baldwin (“the temp”), Susan Stanton, and now Mr. Bornstein.
Without doubt, Ms. Stanton had the toughest job, coming into a complete disaster after a do-nothing temporary manager, a major accounting scandal, turnover in almost every managerial position --also at the time of a Florida & national real estate downturn and world-wide financial recession. And that doesn’t even take into consideration any personal issues or prejudices she had to encounter, or the never-ending bully tactics of a certain commissioner with an “I’m right & everyone else is wrong” complex.
I have no doubt things will get worse & uglier at City Hall before they get better, but I’m just as sure that in a year or two the decisions made by the current majority commission will be seen by voters as something that needs change. So Mr. Bornstein, suggest you lease and not buy your place in the Lucerne, and if you have the opportunity to negotiate another contract for yourself, make sure you get a good severance.
Meanwhile, after 20-30 years of debate, we will finally have a new beach & casino soon! So let’s all be grateful for the good things that have happened in the past few years, and hope for the best in the future. The divided sides of our town may never get along, but with luck, our charming little beach town will still be around in another in 100 years. –Beth
Bornstein is the best thing that has happed to City Hall since, well, since it was built. And who is this Stanton character you all speak of?
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