Hawthorne to pay Smyth $26K

Seeking interim manager

In a narrow margin, commissioners in Hawthorne agreed Tuesday to pay out $26,370 to Ed Smyth, the city manager they fired on Dec. 16.  The agreement to pay the severance called for in Smyth’s employment contract with the City didn’t come without apprehension from some who questioned if the city had the funds to make the payment.

Concerns about the City’s fiscal standing nearly kept the commission from authorizing the severance payout and was the single-largest reason cited by commissioners for firing Smyth in the first place.  An initial motion by Commissioner Harry Carter to write the check in one lump sum payment to Smyth resulted in a stalemate when only Vice-Mayor Matthew Surrency supported the measure.  Commissioners William Carlton and DeLoris Roberts opposed the move.  Mayor Eleanor Randall was not present.

Carlton and Roberts said they weren’t sure the City could afford to pay out the full three-months severance called for in the contract, mainly because Smyth never presented the commission with a balanced budget.  The initial budget adopted in September and set to begin on Oct. 1 was found to be out of balance with nearly $400,000 of unfunded expenses.

Since that discovery, the commission has seen a reported six revisions to the budget.  The final straw came at the Dec. 16 special meeting in which the latest revision allegedly still wasn’t balanced.

Despite the stalemate, commissioners continued to debate their options with Smyth’s severance pay.  Urging commissioners not to delay the payout, City Attorney Audrey Harris said, “I’m uncomfortable prolonging it because of [the City’s] contractual obligation.”

With tensions clearly rising on the dais, Commissioner William Carlton said, “I think it’s time the City Attorney start thinking about the City of Hawthorne.”  Carlton was critical of the employment contract with Smyth which was drafted by Harris.

Harris said she took exception to Carlton’s comment and that she has “never not looked out for the interests of Hawthorne.”

Carter and Surrency said they wanted to make the full payout to bring closure to the issue and allow the City to move in a new direction.  Carlton and Roberts meanwhile said they remained concerned that the City did not have adequate funds to follow through on its commitments.

After revenues and expenses, including Smyth’s severance, the City would have about $52,000 in the general fund according to estimates prepared by the City’s accountants.

Carter and Surrency seemed amenable to a staggered payout to Smyth over three months, but that wasn’t enough to tip Carlton and Roberts on the issue.

The debate among commissioners and residents who spoke ensued until one resident seemed to sway Roberts.

Ray Daniel, the resident who first brought to light the budget errors, recounted the events over the last several weeks.

Daniel noted that the commission opted not to continue employing Smyth for three months in lieu of a lump sum severance.  He also characterized the contract as “one-sided” in favor of Smyth.  But the tide seemed to turn when Daniel said, “You’re obligated to pay [Smyth] as the contract states.”

His comments prompted Roberts to budge on the issue.  In light of Daniel’s comments, Roberts said she would vote for a lump sum severance pay.

After another motion by Carter to make the full payout, Roberts went along with the move, which passed 3-1.  Carlton continued to oppose the measure.

The $26,370 severance pay includes nearly three months of pay totaling $17,500, about $7,600 in vacation pay and some $1,250 in sick pay.  The City is also obligated to continue paying Smyth’s health and life insurance premiums for three months.

Commissioners in Hawthorne have been working quickly to find someone to fill the city manager position on an interim basis while looking for a more permanent manager.  Paul Sharon of the International City Manager Association of Florida presented commissioners with the option of his assistance in the process of finding both an interim and permanent city manager.

Sharon, who works under the “Range Riders” program gave the commission a list of four city managers in the surrounding area that might be interested in helping on an interim basis.  Among those are former High Springs City Manager James Drumm.  Also on the list are James Gleason of Ocoee, Ken Venables of Palatka and Oel Wingo of Palm Coast.

Sharon also offered to help the commission put together an advertisement as well as filter through the applicants for a permanent city manager.

The commission accepted Sharon’s assistance and scheduled a meeting for Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. to further discuss the immediate and long-term needs of Hawthorne.