After losing the May 19 recall election to Jack Clarke, former Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon stepped out of the spotlight to observe Clarke’s approach at the city’s helm.
Clarke took the oath of office June 1. On June 4, he and three commissioners promoted acting clerk Terri Sanclemente to city clerk with a $20,000 annual pay raise.
It’s a position Shearon does not believe Sanclemente is qualified to hold.
Shortly thereafter, without consulting commissioners in a public meeting, Clarke gave Sanclemente a degree of authority over city staff not seen since the late Nora Idso was clerk several years ago.
“I got sued for allegedly doing things,” Shearon said June 16. “Jack Clarke is actually doing them.”
That lawsuit is part of a global settlement of four suits Shearon negotiated and for which dismissal is pending.
The lawsuits include:
• Jo Ann Meilner and Tjet Martin suing the city in 2012 over a joint development agreement commissioners entered into with ELRA Inc., the corporate entity of Ed Chiles’ Beachhouse Restaurant, for development of the city-owned beach access across Gulf Drive from city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., and the beachfront property owned by Chiles adjacent to the restaurant at 200 Gulf Drive N.
• ELRA suing the city in 2014 over Shearon allegedly acting like a strong mayor in a city generally considered to have a weak mayor form of government. Shearon was elected to a two-year term in November 2013.
• Martin suing the city in 2014 over a public records request. City attorney Ricinda Perry reviewed her emails to the commission and ultimately amassed a bill of $780 that Martin was asked to pay in order to receive the records.
• Shearon suing the city to prevent commissioners from suspending him during the forfeiture of office process they brought against him.
Meanwhile Shearon, who plans to run for mayor again in November, agrees with Commissioner Janie Robertson that it was inappropriate for Clarke to unilaterally give Sanclemente authority over staff in the city finance and building departments.
“This wasn’t even discussed or agreed on by the commission,” Shearon said. “What we’re talking about is (Sanclemente being) a city manager, with no qualifications.”
As mayor, Shearon supported Sanclemente’s June 2014 hiring. But he said commissioners should not have promoted her to city clerk because “she’s not trained.
“She’s going to learn by trial and error, which is going to cost the city money,” Shearon said.
Sanclemente and deputy clerk Emily Long were scheduled to attend the Florida Institute of Government Seminar on Public Records Management June 21-23 in Gainesville.
According to Linda Bridges, executive director of the Florida Association of City Clerks, to achieve the certified municipal clerk designation, participants need 120 educational hours to earn the necessary 60 education points.
They also are required to earn “experience” points by serving on boards, committees, volunteer hours and more. Advanced education degrees also are considered when participants apply to the International Institute of Municipal Clerks for their designations.
Bridges said it’s uncommon for someone to be hired as a city clerk before achieving CMC status, “but it does happen.”
Shearon said it was improper for the commission to promote Sanclemente before she achieves CMC status.
As mayor, Shearon said he had a plan for how Sanclemente could work to attain CMC status and the city clerk position. This included a compensation package that increased as she gained experience and took the requisite classes.
“I discussed it with Terri numerous times and she wouldn’t make the decision to be a clerk. She didn’t want to make that commitment with me,” Shearon said. “But the plan now is she gets all that stuff up front. Maybe a year from now, all of the sudden, she decides she doesn’t want to be a clerk. Where are we at?”
Sanclemente said June 18 she started working for the city in July 2014. Shearon first asked her to be the acting clerk after only two weeks on the job, she said, adding he asked her three times before she finally said yes. “If you want me to be city clerk, why would you say that now?” she asked.
Sanclemente was interviewed before the election that ousted Shearon and she offered critical comments about him. She told The Islander that while she was not uncomfortable working with Shearon, she preferred to not be alone with him because of his temperament.
Shearon was asked if he felt a promotion and pay raise for the clerk amounted to a political payoff by Clarke.
“Within the first week, you move somebody to clerk and you are going to pay them to go to school to get certified, if it works out, in two years. Then on top of it, you give her a whole bunch of authority, even authority over department heads, with no expertise or no experience.” Shearon said. “Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”
Clarke could not be reached for comment.
“I did not support anybody,” Sanclemente said. “I don’t care who is mayor. Whoever comes in here, that’s who I work for.” The recall election, she said, “wasn’t up to me. That was up to the citizens of Bradenton Beach and they spoke.”
When Shearon was elected mayor, an auditor alerted him to numerous irregularities in city finances. He said his focus became holding city employees accountable for their actions.
“What I did for a year and a half was based on the auditor and a discussion with the commission,” he said. “The discussion with the commission at that time was to separate the departments out so people would be responsible and accountable, and they could function that way. Now literally it was less than a week and the mayor makes this drastic change of the way the city does business. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Shearon added that he plans to remain involved and vocal on city business.