One commissioner leads the city manager's ouster, which the mayor calls a cheap shot.
By JAN WESNER CHILDS
Published March 21, 2004
MADEIRA BEACH - The City Commission apparently couldn't wait for City Manager Jim Madden to leave.
Madden announced his resignation in December, and his last day on the job was supposed to have been April 1. Instead, the commission placed Madden on administrative leave as of March 11. At the time, he was making $74,969 a year.
Community Services Director Mike Maxemow is serving as interim city manager.
Commissioner Charles Parker led the movement to oust Madden. Parker said Madden was "a lame duck" who could no longer lead the city effectively. Parker had suggested shortly after Madden announced his resignation that he leave early, but at the time other commissioners didn't agree.
This time, Parker capitalized on the fact that elections had just taken place, bringing the issue to the table at a March 10 commission meeting where two new members were sworn in.
"All of a sudden we had two new city commissioners so I thought, "This is a good time to bring this up again,"' Parker said Thursday.
The new commissioners, Leonard Piotti and John Wolbert, voted with Parker. Commissioner Roger Koske and Mayor Tom DeCesare voted in support of Madden.
"I thought it was a cheap shot and spiteful to him," DeCesare said of the move to force Madden out early.
Madden's two-year tenure, like other portions of his long career in city administration, was not exactly smooth. Madden was fired from his job as Pinellas Park city manager in 1997, after 22 years with that city. He later worked for the city of Largo and as a real estate agent before being hired as Madeira Beach city manager in March 2002.
Madden had resigned last May but returned to the job a few days later after all the commissioners except Parker asked him to stay.
Critics were upset at how Madden dealt with the public and city employees. Even supporters admitted that Madden didn't always come across as warm and fuzzy.
"Often he rubbed people the wrong way," said DeCesare, adding that he hopes to find a "more friendly" replacement.
City employees voted last year to unionize, in part because of their unhappiness with Madden's management. Two members of the small city staff resigned under his tenure.
Steve Burdick, a city parks department employee who is the interim union representative, said Friday he has seen a noticeable change in morale among city employees since Madden went on leave.
"I can see their attitude definitely changing," Burdick said. "People are less tense, and it seems more relaxed."
The city has named seven finalists for the manager job, including Maxemow.
Madden will be paid his regular salary, a total of $4,325, until March 31. Because he resigned, there is no severance package.
He said Thursday that he was not sure what he would do in the future, but for the short term he plans a trip to Mexico on his 40-foot boat.
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In January the city started advertising that it needed a new manager. By the Feb. 16 cutoff date, it had 105 applications.
The list was narrowed to 17, with preference given to those who had work experience in the state, Human Resources officer Deborah Cline said.
A screening committee of City Managers Mike Bonfield of St. Pete Beach, Frank Edmunds of Seminole and Tom Brobeil of Gulfport narrowed the list to seven.
Commissioners will meet at a future date to discuss the candidates and decide which ones to call for interviews.
According to their resumes, the seven finalists are:
- Mike Maxemow, community services director and interim city manager in Madeira Beach. Maxemow has worked for the city for 28 years.
- Mark Eckert, most recently county administrator in Glynn County, Ga. Before that, he was a private consultant in Punta Gorda.
- Jon Lewis, assistant town manager in Belleair, and a former city of Clearwater employee.
- Donald Lusk, city administrator in the village of Angel Fire, N.M., city administrator until January 2003, and former manager of Holly Hill, Fla.
- Steven Ross, assistant to the city manager in Largo and a Largo employee since 1993.
- Anthony Shoemaker, manager of the management analysis section for Hillsborough County and prior assistant county administrator.
- Jill Silverboard, city manager of Destin from 1998 to 2003. Before that she was deputy city manager of Destin.
