In a letter to City Manager Reese Goad, City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow leveled serious charges against Mr. Goad and finished the 2 1/2 page review with:
“I believe that your integrity has been compromised, and I do not believe you are capable of moving our City forward. With this review I am entering a vote of no confidence in your current role as City Manager.”
After the release of the letter, Mr. Goad said, “I’m very pleased with the progress we’ve made in the last year. I look forward to speaking with him about those issues and our plans for the future.”
The full letter can be found here.
Commissioner Matlow was extremely specific about his concerns with language which throws caution to the wind and is sure to ruffle feathers in City Hall. The approach, which is quickly becoming a Matlow trademark, will offend insiders and embolden those seeking change.
Matlow voiced concerns about the process that resulted in the selection of Goad which was ahead of an election that resulted in three new commissioners.
Your appointment as City Manager was made by a motion from indicted former City Commissioner Scott Maddox in the Tallahassee Room, with no public input in a move that was widely viewed as “business as usual” during an extraordinary time.
Matlow criticized Goad for his actions related to a number of issues, including:
- Goads’ investigation of the value of football tickets gifted to employees to sit in Adam Corey’s skybox at FSU football games alongside Rick Fernandez and Scott Maddox.
- Goad’s defense of a nepotism policy that benefits friends and family members, including Goad’s brother-in-law.
- Recent audits that show improper and careless recordkeeping, inconsistent hiring and pay increase practices.
Matlow also addressed Goad’s relationship with a city vendor, Vancore-Jones.
Matlow stated that Goad’s “politicized leadership” was demonstrated by payments over the years to the political consulting firm Vancore-Jones to do city business and the influence political consulting firms exerted during the hiring process.
The City Manager serves at the pleasure of the city commission, which means it takes three votes to terminate employment.
Commissioner Matlow Voices “No Confidence” in City Manager added by Steve Stewart on
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Bravo Matlow! Cheering your outstanding leadership!!! Disappointed in FAILED leadership and NO confidence in other incumbent Commissioners! Your leadership is a game changer! Keep exposing the lunacy of it all! We got your back!
I’ve seen first hand good men get moved to a different department just so family can move up.
I can’t wait to watch the next Commission Meeting, to see how those two will interact NOW should be very interesting.
Normally, I would agree with this assessment but coming from Matlow, I have to look at it as a furtherance of his ‘agenda’, which I do not want to see in our city government. Reese Goad never should have been appointed but who takes his place? That is a position where I do not want Matlow to have a voice.
Go Matlow!
Look at chubsie over there on Matlow’s left he’s already cleaned his plate!
BTW where did that food come from and who paid for it????
Chubsie and the others are hateing Matlow more than ever now.
The honest citizens are all loving Matlow more than ever now.
Is Goad the one that Meadows-Keefe has been having that hot monkey love fest with????
It’s about time an elected official stand up for the citizens and taxpayers of Tallahassee. And for employees who want to do good and honest work free from threats and fear. However, what Matlow has uncovered is just the tip of the iceberg. All persons who manage utility operations, as well as others who’ve ascended to positions of authority who came from departments under Goad’s pre-city manager “leadership” are complicit in maintaining the toxic city environment and should be thoroughly investigated. Then fired.
Yes! It is past time for someone to address the issues with management at City Hall. Thankfully Comm. Matlow has done his homework and has the courage to address the issue. His letter is accurate. Goad is a carbon copy of Fernandez and he carries on Fernandez’s corrupt and abusive management stye. His deputies (Tedder, Barber) ensure that those inside the circle of trust get whatever they want from City Hall. Staff who try to do their job are booted out the door, creating an atmosphere of fear. It is time for that to stop. Now that Matlow has speled out the problems, he should get support from the other commissioners. Richardson knows what is going on. Williams-Cox might be willing to clean things up as well. Elain Bryant could also help, if she votes independently of the Mayor! If they don’t fix it then they should be shown the door as well. We need a nation wide search for an experienced, qualified city manager. Not a crony of Scott Maddox.
Come on people, speak up! Write the commissioners and let them know they need to support Matlow’s work and clean up City Hall.
So Mr. Matlow – what about: 1) the ‘Other’ appointments that Mattox supervised and voted on to be appointed like Cassandra Jackson? 2) How about Dirty Rick’s and Goad’s appointment(s) of Cynthia Barber and 3) her $49K ‘pay raise’; 4) how about the ~40 COT employees terminated 6 weeks after the first FBI subpoena came in? There’s plenty more dirt to be gotten rid of at City Hall – terminate them and remove their retirement and have them pay back $ they got while abusing their positions.
Commissioner Matlow is right that Mr Goad is unable to discern and defers to political loyalties.
Hopefully, the other two new commissioners will support Commissioner Matlow.
A nationwide search for a city manager needs to commence to move the city forward.
And bravo on the Vancore Jones concerns regarding the political influence that is unhealthy and needs to cease and desist.
Keep up the good work Commissioner Matlow.
Isn’t he the commissioner that wanted the City of Tallahassee to open a grocery store to feed low income families on the south side?
Yes!!!! Matlow Rocks! Finally someone who calls it like it is!
Breaking News:
Just heard on local WFLA:
Boosters move to accept donations to buy out FSU Head Coach Taggart’s contract and pursue the hiring of Urban Mayer.
Snidely approves the donation of up to 5 Million from the City of Tallahassee for this noble cause.
We will get the 5Mil back many times over from hotel revenue alone!!!
Thank you Boosters!!
Snidely spot on and good reporting! Finally, FSU Boosters leadership steps up! Nothing personal Coach Taggart all BUSINESS! Urban Mayers welcome to FSU!
FSU AD Coburn has already gone on the record and said NO WAY would this ever happen…no Urban, and definately no SOS.
Meanwhile, prayers going out for Mark Richt, who had a heart attack yesterday, and is tweeting about it today.