By Times Staff Writer
Published September 17, 2005
Largo City Commissioner Mary Gray Black and City Manager Steve Stanton had a rare one-on-one chat Wednesday after she tried to pay for a special event permit for Taste of Largo with a personal check.
That wasn't allowed, leading to confusion and awkwardness at City Hall.
On Thursday, Stanton wrote commissioners about the incident. Black did not respond Friday to a reporter's request to comment on Stanton's letter, which is excerpted here:
"I . . . want to call commission attention to the substantial amount of disruption that takes place within the working environment when City Commissioners provide direct interface with city employees and give directions that are inconsistent with the provisions of the City Charter and legislative policies.
"As stated in (the) City Charter . . . "Except for the purpose of inquiries and investigations, the city commission and its members shall deal with the city officers and employees . . . solely through the city manager, and neither the City Commission nor its members shall give orders to any such officer or employee, either publicly or privately."
Before adding that the city's legislative policies echo the charter, Stanton wrote that the incident was "extremely embarrassing and very disruptive to personnel in the Building Department, Assistant City Manager Norton Craig and myself and has, once again, caused the city a substantial amount of embarrassment and undermined the confidence of the general public in the city administration."
