Be more proactive, not reactive.
Considering all the sound and fury that surrounded Jim Dinneen’s resignation as Volusia County manager, you might have expected him to deliver a parting shot to the peasants with pitchforks outside the castle walls. Something along the lines of Richard Nixon’s bitter epigram to the press after losing the 1962 race for California governor: “You don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.”
Instead, his farewell speech was as gentle as a Unitarian sermon.
At Tuesday’s County Council meeting, Dinneen kept his remarks brief, focusing almost exclusively on the council’s search for his successor, before concluding, “I will just say that it has been a wonderful 12 years.” Period.
Of course, it’s easier to be magnanimous when you’re walking out the door with more than $405,000 in severance pay and benefits.
The recriminations were left to the council members, several of whom leveled volleys of vitriol at “the social media circus extravaganza” that treated the county manager the way a starving pit bull eyes a ribeye steak. Their targets for criticism included Sheriff Mike Chitwood (“One of the most unprofessional sheriffs I’ve ever seen in my life,” Pat Patterson said), who has publicly and profanely railed against Dinneen, as well as their colleague, Heather Post, who they disliked even before she sought to depose Dinneen.
It wasn’t that long ago, though, that the same members who had Dinneen’s back Tuesday were highly critical of him for keeping the recommendations of an impact fee study from them for two years. They didn’t know the report existed until The News-Journal’s Dustin Wyatt asked them about it over a week ago.
Councilwoman Joyce Cusack told Wyatt that withholding that information was “troubling,” and that it made it harder for her to serve her constituents and make tough policy decisions. That was after the June 5 meeting when she asked Dinneen to “improve lines of communication.”
Councilwoman Deb Denys told Wyatt it’s not the first time that county staff failed to present all the information to the council before a big vote. She called it “frustrating,” and said, “I don’t want to label this a staff issue. This is a management problem.”
Councilwoman Billie Wheeler said being uninformed about the study was “upsetting.” Like Cusack, she had called for greater transparency at the previous meeting.
“Communication. Transparency. I’m going to push this for the rest of my days (on council),” she said.
Can I get an “amen” from the congregation?
The next county manager not only needs to be more transparent and communicative with the council, the next council has to demand it. That means being proactive in seeking information, asking questions and probing the answers, instead of being reactive when they get blindsided.
It’s not enough to constantly express disappointment you weren’t informed about something. If nothing changes, then eventually you become an enabler.
Too many elected boards these days are content to cede too much power to their professional managers, and abdicate their responsibility to provide oversight.
I’ve always believed that every public board needs at least one member to ask of every initiative: Why are we doing this? Do we need to do this? Is there a better or cheaper way to do this?
The type of personality it requires to be that skunk in the pews sometimes leads to overreach. There can be a fine line between being a watchdog and a gadfly, although it often depends on one’s perspective. Entrenched interests don’t appreciate anyone questioning their reasons.
More than anyone, Post has drawn antipathy from other council members, some of it earned — she grandstands, and sometimes is oblivious to or ignores protocol. But she’s also unafraid to yank the tiger’s tail. And if that’s part of her self-promotion, well, you know what they say about stopped clocks. She’s still asking the right questions. Someone has to.
The council can demonstrate its commitment to transparency and oversight with its search for the new manager. Set the tone for the way forward by being open and involving the community, while requiring the same of each candidate.
Kent is The News-Journal’s Opinion page editor. His email is scott.kent@news-jrnl.com. His phone number is 386-681-2248. Follow him on Twitter @DBNJskent.