At the most recent City Commission meeting, Commissioner Nancy Miller discussed her concerns about the search process for a new city attorney.
Addressing the limited number of qualified applicants, Commissioner Miller said that if potential applicants understand that an internal candidate is favored, many people will not waste their time applying.
Then, looking at City Commissioner Curtis Richardson and Mayor Andrew Gillum, Commissioner Miller said, “It is disturbing to me that two you have already indicated to the public that you have made up you minds.”
The comment was in reference to the public support offered by Richardson and Gillum for current Deputy City Attorney Cassandra Jackson.
In addition, outgoing City Attorney Lew Shelley has publicly offered his support for Ms. Jackson.
“I do not believe the commission can find a more qualified candidate,” Shelley said in October.
Jackson has been Tallahassee’s deputy city attorney for years under Shelley.
City Commissioner Richardson remarked that institutional knowledge was as important characteristic trait for the city attorney position.
Commissioner Miller, continuing her criticism, provided an example of how a qualified individual was not allowed to apply for the position due to a problem with the online application process.
City staff was directed to gather more information about the incident.
The special meeting of the Commission, which was held on Wednesday January 3rd, was scheduled to discuss the next steps for appointing a city auditor and city attorney.
In addition to Jackson, the other applicants for city attorney include Steve Durden, who has over two decades of experience working for the city of Jacksonville General Counsel, and John Anastasio, who is a private attorney in Stuart who contracts as the attorney for smaller cities.
Interviews of the three city attorney candidates are scheduled to take place on January 17th, 2017.
City Commissioner Nancy Miller Critical of City Attorney Search Process added by Staff on
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“I do not believe the commission can find a more qualified candidate,” Shelley said in October.
That is because in order to be “qualified” the candidate must already be eyebrow-deep in the systemic corruption in the COT. We can’t very well have some do-gooder “outsider” attorney asking questions and holding up COT “business arrangements” with stupid laws and charter rules, can we?
Cockroaches don’t like any attempt at cleaning up their hiding places – or light shining on their activities.
She wasn’t critical of a dang thing when she was awarding her brother in-law hundred thousand dollar contracts. I hope she goes to jail with Maddox and his girlfriend…
It is mindblowing that with the current history in City Hall that they would even consider an internal candidate. The Commissioner need to restore the Public’s faith and get an outsider to fill this important position. But they are too lazy to do a proper search.
Commissioner Miller made a good point. By their unabashed support for the internal candidate, Commissioner Richardson and Mayor Gillum may have undermined the search, which could explain why there were so few applicants. And by doing so, it has diminished the quality and integrity of the search process. Ms. Jackson may be a good attorney, but is she the better alternative? Maybe, maybe not. One thing for sure: We will never know if there is not an intellectually honest search.
I think we need to do a lot more house cleaning Rick Fernandez people go deep maybe some new faces could be a new start for the future for the city of Tallahassee and their employees. Little dirty Ricky Fernandez recruited all the people that’s in place no better than him. Need to clean from top to bottom. There are quite a few large salaries that need to be looked at that Little Ricky signed off on and gave to people that worked for him and carried out his plan.
Apparently, in Richardson’s dictionary, institutional knowledge is defined as “knowing where the bodies are buried.”
My God! Why of course Andy and his lap puppet Richardson would support this. Wasn’t ole Curtis caught with a prostitute a few years ago?.
OMG Sam you are so speaking the truth here.
I am totally dumbfounded why so many otherwise normal locals who profess to subscribe to conservative principals (some of whom may even be involved with local conservative media) are so eager to jump up and give ‘ole Curtis “The Usual Suspect Enabler” a pass.
We need someone unconnected to take Curtis’ place who will scream, fuss, and raise Holy #ell when confronted with graft, corruption, nepotism, ect….rather than another “Usual Suspect Enabler” on the commission.
Heck I myself used to think along with them that “ole Curtis deserved a pass. But no longer. This is too important for our future.
Now I stand with you Samantha.
Rumor is that when jobs are announced for the city the job has already been filled. It seems to me it would be a good idea to at least consider others instead of appointing someone who has been with the city forever. Our city needs to be in need of change.
If Ms Jackson has served as “deputy city attorney for years” that should be automatic disqualification. There should be a fresh start for this position…someone who is not already in the gutter of Tallahassee politics and has no ties to any city official. If not… the chances for getting someone who will not look the other way, and is not beholding to the current regime is slim to none.
Rick Fernandez also served as assistant city manager for years…and we see how that turned out. Many people held out hope he would be much better…and transparent than Ms. Favors- Thompson, but working under the former city manager only showed him how to use the office for personal gain, and rewarding business/political friends.
Clear & Concise! Spot on!
Thank you Steve Stewart (for Mayor).
Reading TDO.com’s reporting of the meeting indicates they feel the citizens do not need to be aware of this important aspect of the commission meeting.