- April 28, 2024
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Six weeks after Armando Martinez was told his tenure as city manager for Bunnell was coming to a close, the Bunnell City Commission has changed its mind.
After a 3-2 vote on Monday, July 22, the commission will now negotiate a new contract for Martinez.
In June, the same commission decided against renewing Martinez’s contract when it expires in October. Commissioners Elbert Tucker, John Rogers and Bill Baxley voted against Martinez; Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady and Mayor Catherine Robinson vehemently supported Martinez, saying that he has helped turn the city around during his time as city manager.
During Monday’s meeting, Baxley suggested appointing an interim city manager, whom Martinez could train during his remaining time working for the city. Robinson was skeptical of this plan, asking why Martinez was qualified to train a new city manager if he was not qualified to act as city manager.
“I just don’t get it,” Robinson said. “Why are we doing this? Is this for the good of the city of Bunnell or is this for the good of personal agendas?”
Instead, she made a motion that the board negotiate a new contract with Martinez. Crain-Brady and Baxley voted in favor of this motion. The city will now enter negotiations with Martinez.
During public comment, citizens asked that the board make up its mind. About three months ago, the commission voted on Martinez’s employment for the first time. At that meeting, Martinez survived in a split vote.
Then, in June, Tucker made the motion against renewing Martinez’s contract, but did not elaborate on his reasons for doing so, saying he preferred for the board to vote as it saw fit. In that vote, Martinez was voted out. Crain-Brady then asked the city attorney about the procedure for investigating potential Sunshine Law violations, saying she was concerned that Martinez was voted out with so little explanation.
“It’s very obvious that this was a planned vote,” she said at the time. On Monday, Crain-Brady criticized the amount of “drama” rampant in the commission.
The city’s finance director, Cynthia Bertha, resigned from her position on July 12, saying in her letter of resignation that “the vision of the current board majority has changed.”
Barbara Harkins, executive assistant to the city manager, also resigned.
Baxley’s was the deciding vote in Monday’s decision: He voted against renewing Martinez’s contract, but then in favor of renegotiating it.
“I have not changed my mind,” Baxley said. “When we brought it up to fire (Martinez), I voted no.”
But he said he promised during campaigns not to renew Martinez’s as written. Martinez earns just more than $100,000 annually.
Before the commission voted, Martinez said he was “ready, willing and able to continue serving the citizens of Bunnell.”
