HomeMy WebLinkAboutSilly Fight Will be a Waste of Money-1998 0 U R V I E W S
Silly fight will be
a waste of money Then someone re ordinance passed
several years ago that auto-
Winter Springs officials have allowed matically fires any member of
ego and pride to blind-them. a city board who sues the city.
Its purpose was to tame volun-
he City of Winter
TSprings is about to
teer board members, but, hey,
Perhaps that was misstep perhaps that ordinance's petty
spend up to $10,000 No. 1. Unanimously, commis- intent could be extended to
for lawyers in a silly sioners challenged his right to meaning the mayor was out.
fight between city commis- fire the attorney. Had he made What nonsense. The will of
signers and the mayor. For an appointment, likely they the electorate cannot be so ca-
shame! Has the city no better would have voted it up or sually tossed aside.
use for that money? down and that would have It is clear now that Mr. Par-
It's a fight, of all things, be- been it. But the charter says tyka's assertiveness, so valua-
tween the mayor and five corn- nothing about firing. Was the ble in other situations,created
missioners over the power to mayor assuming power? much of the problem. Had he
fire the city attorney. The Mr. Partyka is your classic simply led a discussion on the
fight's seeds lie in what some super salesman; he brims with attorney's job, he might well
say is a vague passage in the enthusiasm and ideas. He's have had his way. Either way,
city's charter and over-reaction what Winter Springs needs to the charter is clear: In the end,
by commissioners to the may- create the things that will give the commission has the final
or's bumbling attempt to clar- it an identity and expand its say as to who the attorney is.
ify it—helped along by a little tax base. Those traits often The mayor and the commis-
ego bruising. sioners all have allowed ego,
Here's the situation. swing the spotlight his way, pride and "principle" to blind
Paul Partyka was elected away from commissioners. En- them. How important is the
mayor in late 1996. Some of ter the ego problem. right of the mayor to fire, if
his support was in exchange Finally, Mr. Partyka decided commissioners can override
for his pledge to fire Flank to have a judge settle the ques- any appointment?
Kruppenbacher, the city's at- tion. That's when the situation What's needed now are
torney since 1982. Theirs was a went from bad to worse. some moments of individual
classic case of blaming lost To get a judge's ruling, Mr. reflection, followed by frank
causes on the attorney. Partyka retained a personal discussion. With big things
The city charter empowers lawyer — not at city expense. about to happen in a new
the mayor to appoint the city Each commissioner was made 'downtown,"a silly fight is the
attorney and city clerk, but a defendant in a lawsuit. last thing needed.
with commission approval. Up- Shocked, commissioners reac- As for that $10,000, ask just
on his election,Mr.Partyka an- ted by authorizing the city to about any elector in town and
nounced he would withhold hire attorneys to defend each he or she will come up with a
those appointments for a year of them,at a cost not to exceed better need for it.
until he had a better feel for $1(1,000.
the city's needs. A year later,
he told commissioners he was
firing Mr. Kruppenbaucher,
asking input from them before
appointing a replacement. /1 do) 3