- April 15, 2024
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Updated 5:55 p.m. July 19.
The Palm Coast City Council members believe City Manager Jim Landon is a skilled negotiator who carries out their wishes effectively and that he "earns his salary," but he won't be getting a raise that was recommended by the Human Resources Department. The council voted 3-2 against a raise in a rare split vote.
In a formal evaluation made public on July 15, he was given a score of 3.5 out of 5, meaning he falls between the categories of "meets expecations" and "exceeds expectations." At least some believe he needs to be more receptive to their ideas and that he needs to be less negative toward Flagler County government. He is also a somewhat controversial figure, so politics played a role: City Council member Steve Nobile admitted that by supporting the raise (Nobile and Mayor Jon Netts voted "yes"), he would get lots of "flak" from residents who feel Landon is already overpaid.
City Council member Jason DeLorenzo, who is resigning to run for County Commission, did not support the raise, saying Landon's "current salary is in the appropriate range" for a manager of a city the size of Palm Coast. Heidi Shipley and Bill McGuire agreed with DeLorenzo, although McGuire said it was a difficult decision and that Landon is a man he "admires and respects."
Landon was hired on Feb. 1, 2007. The raise would have increased his salary by 2.9%, up from $168,878 to $173,790.60 per year.
In a move that he admitted was uncomfortable for him, the normally private Landon spoke up for himself and his record at the meeting before the vote and indicated that he felt he had earned the raise.
"To find someone with my background and my experience for what I make won’t be easy for you," he said, referring to his 25 years as a city manager in this and other cities. He noted that he had never been fired from a job, which is also rare for a city manager. He said Palm Coast has a low tax rate and yet is a "premier organization" that has garnered state and national accolades. He also indicated that he could have continued to "climb the ladder" and moved on to a bigger city but chose not to, but "that doesn't mean that, 'Well, I should keep the same compensation forever.'"
He said the times for withholding pay raises "are behind us," given the improving economy, and indeed other staff members are getting raises. It's typical for all employees of the city who are meeting expectations to get a 2% raise.
"To say I’m doing a good job or meeting expectations, but, 'No, you don’t get a pay raise' — that’s just not how the workplace works," he said. "How do you treat your employee, is the position you're in right now."
Of the four members of the City Council who participated in the evaluation process (McGuire did not participate), Netts has known Landon the longest, and he also gave Landon the highest scores in each of the four sections of the evaluation.
Among Landon’s accomplishments are overseeing the construction of City Hall and restructuring the departments to become more efficient during the Recession. The council also praised his planning ability and his savvy with regard to capital projects. He holds his staff accountable and has dedication, knowledge and commitment.
The lowest score by any individual was given by Jason DeLorenzo. He gave Landon a score of 2.73 out of 5 with regard to “external relations,” which includes Landon’s relationship with Flagler County. DeLorenzo will be on the ballot in November for a seat on the County Commission.
Another of the responses to the external relations section sums up what some might perceive as perhaps his biggest weakness: “There is a desire of council for the city manager to be more proactive in his communication with the public, including reminding the public that although he is the ‘leader’ of the city, he implements policy as directed by council.”
Overall, Landon received a score of 3.1 out of 5 in this section, with DeLorenzo, Netts and Steven Nobile all giving their lowest scores. Heidi Shipley gave a score of 3.27.
According to the summary of the evaluations, at least one member of City Council came to the conclusion that “the perception of citizens is poor, with the exception of the citizens that are engaged.” Interestingly, several members of the community who frequently attend City Council meetings spoke up in Landon's favor at the July 19 meeting, saying he should get the raise.
Although the City Council is generally “pleased with the information provided to them in order to make decisions … there are some that believe that they are not provided with all options available to them.” Shipley in particular was not pleased with Landon in this regard. She wrote, "I feel he moves forward based on what his thoughts and ideas are and (is) not always receptive to new council ideas."
Shipley added: "Anything I campaigned on, I need to acheive. We answer to 80,000 residents who voted for us for a reason."
Also, the City Council wants Landon to be “more positive about council’s involvement in day-to-day operations and support new ideas.” That statement could be seen to disagree with the City Charter’s “noninterference” clause (5.11), which states: “Except for the purpose of inquiry and information, the council and its members … are expressly prohibited from interfering with the performance of the duties of any city employee who is under the direct or indirect supervision of the city manager or city attorney.”
Some people cited that clause last year in the push for a formal review of the City Charter by a committee of citizens. No formal review was taken.
At least one City Council member wrote that Landon “works hard and earns his salary,” but that a raise is not justified. Others expressed confidence that “he will continue to make sound decisions to improve customer service for citizens and businesses.”
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The City Council set the fiscal year 2016-2017 proposed millage rate at 4.2450 mills, which is a 3% increase from the rolled-back rate of 4.1195 mills. The tentative budget hearing will be held at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at City Hall
Effective Aug. 15, City Councilman Bill McGuire will resign. His seat is to be filled in the upcoming election — possibly as soon as the Aug. 30 primary, if one candidates gets more than 50% of the popular vote. The council will decide how to handle the resignation, which was not a surprise, at the next workshop meeting, which is 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, at City Hall.
