After a bruising election cycle that featured Tallahassee city commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter actively working to unseat their colleague and current City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, Porter was passed over for the ceremonial role of mayor pro-tem.
During the city’s reorganization meeting, Commissioner Richardson made the motion to appoint Williams-Cox to the position of mayor pro-tem.
Mayor Dailey defended the decision citing Porter’s consistent negative evaluations of city management. In addition, Dailey noted that Porter had publicly called for the firing of city manager Reese Goad – the person Porter would have to work with as the Mayor Pro Tem.
Dailey added, “the mayor pro-tem serves in my absence… I need to make sure that we have a relationship between the mayor pro-tem and quite frankly the four appointeds,” Dailey said.
The “appointeds” referred to the city manager, treasurer-clerk, city attorney and inspector general.
Porter challenged the move.
Porter said, “In the spirit of collegiality that we just all spoke about, I would love the opportunity to serve…Every other member of the Commission has had the opportunity to serve as mayor pro-tem. When you silence me, you silence the people who supported me.”
Matlow also responded.
Matlow said, “Historically, this position has always rotated based on seniority. We’ve only broken that tradition in the last four years, since Commissioner Porter was elected…the votes against Commissioner Porter have just seemed personal and deliberate, not just to divide the City Commission, but our city.”
Matlow controlled the One Tallahassee political committee which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from out-of-state donors during the election cycle in an attempt to defeat Richardson.
The motion to appoint Commissioner WIlliams-Cox passed 3-2, with Dailey, Richardson, and Williams-Cox voting yes and Matlow and Porter voting no.
After Brusing Election Cycle, Porter Passed Over for Mayor Pro-Tem Position added by Steve Stewart on
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I have always wondered that, if the Commissioners had told everyone that if they Vote to raise their Salary, it would Double from almost $48,000 for a Part Time Job to almost $100,000 to do the SAME JOB, would they have Voted YES? I bet not.
Ish just for fairness pointing out the competition is normal and always existed. meisburg vs bailey, many proxy fights it’s politics. they all endorsed against porter in 2020, politicians will be political. it’s a new level now but that’s the same nationally. Ugly bloodsport
This is ridiculous, enough of the games! I know they don’t agree on much but for the sake of the commission and “spirit of the collegiality of the commission”, what harm does it do to make her Pro-Tem? This is absolute poor decision making by Dailey, Richardson and Williams-Cox.
It is time we hold the city leadership responsible for the poor direction they are taking the city. If you are not part of the inner circle of Reese and his goon staff, you will be kicked to the curb. That’s why only a small inner circle of “retired employees” are allowed to retire one day and come back the next in an exclusive OPE position that Reese created. There are a lot of city employees who are fearful of their jobs who are trapped and can’t say anything.
Oh, and give themselves huge raises…
I’m not a Porter fan, but I am so tired of Mayor Fintstone and his cabal. They are no better than Porter/Matlow, and they raise property taxes…
“In the spirit of collegiality…” Ahhhh-hahahaha! Now THAT is funny. Jack and Jeremy have been the antithesis of “collegiality” for years and she has the gall to be offended? @DoctorTuna … sorry, you are late to the dance. Matlow and Porter literally started this years ago when they went after their “colleagues,” this was not this most recent election cycle. Jeremy put animus on steroids when he raised hundreds of thousands (outside, not just the city but, the state) to try and buy their third vote and get Dot elected. They picked the fight – all Dems I might add. This is glorious to watch and the registered Dems keep falling.
What did Jackie think was going to happen? When you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes…
Williams-Cox and Dailey tried to unset their colleague too. Both endorsed Rudy Ferguson and Ken Preston for property appraiser