Department heads in the city of Bradenton Beach are a step closer to becoming what city attorney Ricinda Perry calls “miniature city managers” of their departments.
Action taken by city commissioners Feb. 23 — with Mayor Bill Shearon absent — would enable them to interpret the charter in a way that takes responsibility for running the day-to-day operations of city government away from the mayor and gives it to the department heads.
“We can do this?” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh asked, incredulously.
“Yes,” Perry responded during a workshop in which she guided commissioners in conceiving resolution language that changes the mayor’s role from administrative head of the city with executive oversight to that of a liaison between the commission and department heads.
The Islander contacted Shearon Feb. 23 by phone.
“If that’s what the commission wants, then let the department heads do whatever the heck they want,” he said. “When it crashes and burns, don’t blame me.”
After Perry drafts the resolution, commissioners will review and vote on it at an upcoming meeting.
While it was generally understood that Commissioners Ralph Cole, Jake Spooner and Jan Vosburgh and Vice Mayor Ed Straight wanted Perry to draft a resolution clarifying the charter in a manner that reduces Shearon’s authority, Straight, standing in for Shearon, did not officially call for consensus on the issue before they moved on to another topic.
Nevertheless, under the scenario discussed by commissioners, the city clerk, head of the administration department — who also serves as city treasurer and supervises the building department — the city attorney, the police chief, the planning director and the public works director would operate independent of the mayor, but report to the five-member commission.
The charter states, “The mayor is the executive head of the city government. In addition to duties as a voting member of the commission, the mayor is responsible for administrative oversight of the city government.”
“We need to define ‘city government,’” Cole said, adding that he interpreted “city government,” to mean the commission, not the departments of the city.
Perry suggested commissioners determine whether the mayor should play an active or passive role in the administration of city government. She asked whether “it works” for department heads “to have a mayor who is in the capacity of a city manager, who’s running the day-to-day operations and running the negotiations and coordinating, reaching out and getting projects going.
“Or does it work better to have a mayor who is more waiting for the commission to give specific direction for him to do X, Y and Z and putting the city manager responsibilities on the individual department heads?”
Commissioners then sought input from department heads on what Shearon’s role as mayor should be.
“No one (commission member) on the dais has the authority to direct or dictate what the department heads do in the city, including the mayor,” said Police Chief Sam Speciale, a city employee for about 28 years. Commissioners agreed with Speciale in principle.
Public works director Tom Woodard, who has been a city employee for about 10 years, said he does not understand what “administrative oversight” means. Woodard said it would be more constructive if, while serving as public works director, he has the authority of a city manager.
Passing the resolution could engender internal conflicts. Eliminating the mayor’s authority in day-to-day operations could create chaos when department heads disagree. Not having a designated mediator to settle interdepartmental disputes could lead to situations wherein the loudest department head wins disputes.
For example, last year Speciale seemed to bully then-city treasurer Sheila Dalton in an email about employee pay raises.
Funneling agenda items through the clerk instead of the mayor, another recent change, could lead to overloaded city commission agendas. Likewise, with a requirement that residents’ concerns go before the commission rather than through the mayor’s office — the effect of the Feb. 23 proposal — solutions to problems could be delayed.
It also could create chaos in the budget if individual department heads approve unbudgeted spending.
Meanwhile, Shearon may be a step closer to being mayor in name only. Aside from representing the city at events and organization meetings throughout the county, he would be one of five voting commissioners with little to no oversight of the administration.
“Under that scenario why do you need a mayor?” Shearon asked during the phone interview.
Congratulations Bradenton Beach for taking the title “Most dysfunctional Island governmental body” away from Anna Maria.