Councilman Berlon Weeks explains why he thinks a city manager can move the town forward economically.
By Terry Witt- Spotlight Senior Reporter
Bronson Town Council members Monday voted 3-2 to begin their search for a city manager and agreed to cut about $50,000 in city-funded health insurance and personal bonuses from their salaries.
They also agreed to start meeting again in October, something they haven’t done for many years.
Councilman Berlon Weeks and Councilman Jason Hunt took the lead in different ways with Weeks lobbying to end city-funded insurance for council members and the $250 year-end Christmas bonuses they receive.
City employees will continue to receive the bonuses but council members will have to buy their own health insurance.
Weeks felt the money saved could be used to hire a city manager. He wants the town to hire a city manager who possesses the skills to connect the city to economic development resources and grants that could rebuild the city’s business front and bring more jobs to town.
Councilman Jason Hunt said the Council’s paid vacation in October needed to end.
Hunt revisited an issue he raised at the previous council meeting to eliminate the board’s taxpayer-funded paid October vacations during which no council meetings are held. The council has always been paid in October despite the lack of council meetings. Hunt wanted to change the practice.
He said he talked to city staff and they told him the October vacation didn’t allow business to be conducted, vendors to be paid or council business to be transacted. Hunt said it was time to go back to work in October.
The council voted 4-1 to return to October business meetings with Councilwoman Beatrice Roberts opposing the move, saying she needs a break in October after all the budget workshops and business meetings.
Roberts and Mayor Robert Partin voted against hiring a city manager. The salary range to be offered ranges from $50,000 to $65,000 depending on experience. Roberts said she didn’t think the city could afford to hire a manager to run the city.
Councilman James Beck supported hiring a city manager and ending the council’s paid October vacations, but Councilwoman Beatrice Roberts opposed both, saying the council couldn’t afford a city manager and she favored keeping Octobers free of council meetings.
Partin disagreed with Roberts about finances.
“Financially we’re good, but we’re just good,” he said. He said the town probably saved enough money by eliminating council health insurance to pay for the position, but he wasn’t ready to make the move without more research.
“I would like to see more study given to it,” Partin said.
Weeks, Hunt and Councilman James Beck voted to go forward with hiring a city manager.
The city is currently run by several department heads with Clerk Shirley Miller being the highest ranking.
Weeks talked about previous management and how rules and procedures weren’t followed closely, leaving the town’s finances in bad shape. He felt a city manager could provide the leadership to end that type of mismanagement.
Miller resented any suggestion that she wasn’t following policies and procedures. Those in attendance agreed Miller was indeed enforcing city policies and procedures and has worked hard to clean up the bookkeeping problems left behind by the clerk she replaced.
Hunt voted against eliminating council health insurance benefits, saying he worried it might discourage qualified candidates from running for council seats.
But Weeks said the council was one of the highest paid elected city/town councils or commissions in this region of Florida with council members earning $6,000 annually, the vice mayor $7,200 annually and the mayor $9,600 annually.
Weeks didn’t think it made good economic sense to give council members free health insurance benefits when they were the second highest paid council in the region. The mayor position is the highest paid.
He also won council approval to remove the $250 Christmastime bonuses council members have received for many years. He said private sector bonuses are given for merit. He felt council members didn’t merit year-end bonuses.
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Town of Bronson Regular August 19, 2019; Posted August 20, 2019
