A search for Islamorada’s next permanent manager took a different turn when the village council failed to select one of three finalists for the position at a special Jan. 22 meeting.
Instead, a council majority tasked staff to explore possibilities of creating a deputy manager position and using a Miami-based headhunter firm to bring in assistant manager candidates who could work under current interim manager Kimberly Matthews. The county director of strategic planning and libraries, Matthews is serving Islamorada per a 60-day agreement between the village and county that began Jan. 8.
A six-month canvassing of village manager hopefuls, roughly 40 from Florida and across the country, culminated with the council’s inability to reach clear consensus on one of three finalists who vied for the position. Despite only needing three affirmative votes to approve a selection, some members believed that the vote needed to be 5-0 to show the council’s full support behind the one who’d potentially take the reins.
Councilman Henry Rosenthal proposed the council select Douglas Maxeiner, a former city administrator in Illinois. All council members expressed interest in interviewing Maxeiner when they cut down their lists in October, but they weren’t all onboard with Rosenthal’s choice as the next village manager. Rosenthal and Councilwoman Elizabeth Jolin voted in favor of Maxeiner, while Mayor Buddy Pinder, Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney and Councilman Mark Gregg said “no.”
Jolin said she liked Maxeiner’s “no nonsense” and his success in leading several municipalities in Illinois as the top administrator. Rosenthal said his choice of Maxeiner came in working alongside Islamorada residents John Kocol and Charlotte Norris, who worked in human resources with American Express.
Gregg said he was particularly impressed with Robert Cole, the former village manager of Scarsdale, New York. Cole told the council and public during a meet-and-greet on Jan. 17 that he made the trek to Florida in early January to meet the community and get a feel for the Keys. Gregg said Cole showed that he wanted the job.
“He was here in advance. He met with community members. That’s a hungry guy. That resonated with me,” Gregg said.
Jolin, upon listening to Gregg, made a motion for Cole as the next manager. Rosenthal supported the motion, but Pinder, Mahoney and Gregg didn’t approve. Gregg said he wanted the council to be unified on the vote, which is why he said “no.” The motion ultimately failed.
“I think the principle of being unified is important if not more important than who we pick,” Gregg said.
Mahoney said she liked the three candidates, but she was hesitant to choose a candidate after meeting with them for just two days. Mahoney also said she wasn’t comfortable with split votes among the council.
“That doesn’t show unity,” Mahoney said.
Pinder said the council should continue with Matthews.
“We need to give her a chance,” Pinder said. “I interviewed all three of them. There is one that interviewed better than the other. But I’m going to stick with my guns on what I felt.”
Rosenthal criticized the council’s inability to pick a manager.
“We got a lot of people who elected us to make a decision. And they’re not always easy. This is not easy,” he said. “For anybody to say ‘I haven’t made my mind yet’ … this has been going on for months.”
Mahoney suggested using the headhunting firm Robert Half to bring on two assistant village managers to work with Matthews. Mahoney explained that it would give Matthews time to help the village with a strategic plan, and possibly the idea of a new library. Down the road, Mahoney said, those assistant village managers would know they could step into the village manager position when Matthews departs.
“I cannot make a decision like this to watch another Greg Oravec and Ted Yates again. And that’s what we’re setting us up for,” Mahoney said on a decision to select a new village manager. Mahoney believed her suggestion of an assistant manager would open the door to get to know somebody a little bit better than two days.
Matthews’ 60 days with the village is scheduled to end mid-March, unless the village and county officials agree on another 60-day extension to keep her in the interim role. Matthews told the council that while she doesn’t serve at her own pleasure, she would stay on longer if the sides agreed. Matthews said the ideas of hiring a deputy manager or bringing someone in on a trial basis are “valid ideas.”
“I think it’s important for you to have a sense of the person and have a consensus among yourselves that the person will be successful,” she said.
Rosenthal believed discussions outside picking a village manager were “completely out of order.”
“We’re here to choose one of three people to be our manager. Then he may be charged with the decision to choose an assistant manager, if that’s the case. It’s not our decision,” Rosenthal said.
Pinder, Mahoney and Gregg verbally agreed to direct staff to create an assistant manager position, amend the budget to provide compensation for the role and continue an employee interchange agreement with Monroe County for Matthews’ services. Council also directed staff to gather information on Robert Half. Rosenthal and Jolin opposed the direction.
Jolin said she doubts any of the candidates who applied for the village manager position would apply for an assistant manager role. She closed the meeting by noting the irony of the desire for a 5-0 vote to select a village manager, but “we’re okay moving forward with a 3-2 vote.” Gregg responded to Jolin by stating that “making no decision is better than making a bad decision” as it relates to picking a village manager.
“On that principle we made the right call tonight,” Gregg said.
