Notes from Kay Thacker…Tom Willi’s interview with Richard Grusin…Cruisin’with Grusin US 1 Radio Sunday Aug.26,07..9:00 am

Willi has about 540 people working for Monroe County…8 or so directors, 13 or 14 directors or supervisors…only 2 employees…Willi and Hutton….3 or 4 years is all most administrators last in the job…he has county administrative education from Nova Southeastern University. He worked for Broward County…never mentioned town of Davie…about 80,000 citizens…Criticism of administrator…due to people not understanding the process, seeing the whole picture. Visions, mission statements, values. Leave the county better off than when you came here. Improve the performance of local government, improve the environments, community. We have to be headed in one direction, recognizing priorities. Show the public county is headed in one direction. Draft a strategic plan, show strengths, opportunity, proficiency, high performance, old plan never implemented; streamline the processes of management style. Successes never brought out by public or press. Just the negatives. Richard brought out the town of Davie…. was not as good as working for Monroe County, enemies for life in Davie, not so in Monroe County, you can have difference of opinion here in MC, and in a couple of days you can have coffee with the same person and all is forgiven or over with.

Budget …cuts span over months in advance…starts around Feb or March…meets with county comm. to get directions, wish list, policy changes, get input from Comm. Draft budget…3 public meetings to set tax rates, takes 1,000’s and 1,000’s of staff hours, budget round table. All the fault of state because county thought we needed a 3% cut not a 5% cut. County has a 17% increase, just for gas, supplies, etc we will have this year, plus have to cut back 5%.

Marine Resources Department cuts not due to budget cuts…but dysfunctional, Willi is correcting ill conceived department by getting rid of this department on its own, and putting it under the entire Growth Mgr. department, so all of the county staff can work on these priorities , the priorities were never identified priorities by that disjointed department. Working waterfront the most important now. Need the county out from under moratorium, need to get out of the moratorium and get an ordinance in place and in practice, not issuing permits, left people stuck who own working waterfronts.

Charter government, Willi needs to educate the public about charter government. It is about home rule, local control; fine line, need to define for public…constitutional officers such as Danny Kohlage wants to maintain elected position. Area of Critical State concern will outlive Charter Government. Charter Government will remove control of State. Charter Government would supersede State control. Danny Kohlage’s relationship with Willi is non communicative, but Willi is working to get respect with Danny’s help, but values Danny’s expertise, Danny is a team player, but they need to improve their level of communication .

The reason Willi no longer goes on Becker’s show…Becker is not fair or balanced show, Willi gets no respect from Becker, he doesn’t want to be a folly, he wants respect, to be treated fairly and not have his character assassinated by Becker.

Was just a rumor that county had a surplus fund balance. County will have a 14.7M fund balance this year with the reimbursements from Fema, but will not need to get into the fund balance or use the almost 15M this year to balance this budget. The reason to get rid of Sal, Willi needed a third opinion or perspective on budget so he can deliver a balanced budget to Comm. Need to celebrate this fund balance this year. Not a wholesale firing of staff, Sal was very hard to get along with and work with. Budget Director, Willi said, lots of people felt Sal’s time had come, Richard said, it is Willis way or the highway. Accountability from his directors is what Willi expects, if you have problems let Willi know, but also bring in a resolution to that problem, changes needs to be made to Monroe County and its staff. Jim Malick stayed on to help with the problems with Monroe County, but now moved on, Shelia Barker came into office and announced day and year of her retirement, the reason she left is all rumors and is false information. Tim McGerry (sp.) leaving it was time, and when you stay for 7 years you have lots of baggage and need to find other employment. Ty was different, he was under period of probation, and that is an important time. His skills and culture didn’t fit. Mickey Baker didn’t fit, stacks of complaints from employees, Backer an absolute bully, the tech department was ready to implode on its self , his job performance wasn’t fulfill options, left under adverse issues.

Tougher questions from Richard…little conspiracy going on between Commissioners, and Boondocks, Willi didn’t know anything about that…his doors are always open, always returns calls, more than happy to meet with anyone, his office doors are unlocked, his drawers at his desk is unlocked, he has nothing to hide Willi swims with sharks daily…members of the public always has own goals, issues, but he always gets attacked with any issue he has….an elected officials from the Keys, has a good saying…the first vote you upset 50% of the public and second vote your done.