There are some things we know about Tom Willi's future and some we don't.

We know he will not resign as Monroe County administrator, a position he has held for three years this month and for which he is now drawing $165,000 annually, plus benefits.

We know that no matter who makes the motion, as County Commissioner Dixie Spehar did this past week, there would not have been the required four votes to put Willi's dismissal on the agenda as an add-on item. (Had she thought to add the item to the agenda earlier, it would have been done without need for approval.)

We know that newly selected Mayor Sonny McCoy and former Mayor Mario Di Gennaro will continue to be like two peas in a pod in supporting Willi's tenure.

What we don't know is if the County Commission will, as Willi recently requested, extend his contract.

The commission did right to delay such consideration during its November meeting.

Willi's contract expires Oct. 30, 2008. If he were fired without cause, the commission, by majority vote at a public meeting, would have to give him 30 days' written notice. He would be eligible for $114,400 in salary, cash for unused vacation, personal and sick days, use of a cell phone and nine-month continuation of payments for his health insurance, life insurance, retirement contributions and professional and civic memberships.

If he were fired with cause, for any number of reasons, the item would have to be placed on the agenda 15 days before the agenda deadline.

As we have frequently noted in this space, we believe the county would be better served with another administrator.

In February, when his continued employment previously was being argued, he and the commission came to an agreement that he would stay in his position, but would offer monthly budget statements as well as communicate better with the commission.

Swept under the rug were his failings that we have pointed to in the past.

He has failed to keep the county's income in line with its expenses. Typical of his management style, when directed to cut spending by $2.7 million and increase revenue by $2.4 million as a way to recoup $5 million, he used the tried and true method of announcing cuts in areas that would most affect the citizens (and therefore be cuts that likely would be quickly rescinded). He has suggested closing the Marathon courthouse, eliminating transportation for needy seniors, and has suggested fewer staff and shorter hours for the county's library system.

At present, after robbing reserve funds to balance this year's budget, the county is scrambling to make up what amounts to a $20 million shortfall for next year's budget.

Last year, Willi shifted money from wastewater funds designated for Key Largo to two of the commissioners' pet projects — then lied to then-Gov. Jeb Bush when he was asked about it.

With considerable sleight of tongue, he surmised that it would take 18 hours to evacuate the Florida Keys if a hurricane were on its way, and shamelessly passed that figure on to the governor and state Cabinet as having been vetted with public hearings and adopted into the county land-use plan. Neither had occurred.

His muddled oversight of an expansion project at Key West International Airport led to millions of dollars in additional costs, work stoppages and a scathing grand jury report.

And under his tenure, we've seen an unprecedented bailout of respected supervisors and department heads.

We just don't believe we're getting our money's worth.

In February, during a vote to fire with cause and without, Commissioners Sylvia Murphy and George Neugent voted to fire Willi. But, Di Gennaro, McCoy and Spehar voted to keep him. If Willi has indeed improved on his performance in the past nine months, we have not seen the results.

It is all but certain we'll see an item calling for discussion of Willi's job on the agenda of the commission's next regular meeting. Commissioner Neugent has said as much.

What we must add to that list of things we don't know is which side of the issue Commissioner Spehar will stand. Up for re-election, she scored some political point in her pointless eleventh-hour attempt to add that discussion to the last agenda. We'll soon see if that was a hollow gesture or genuine concern for the best interests of Monroe County citizens.

The Citizen