City decides both Wiles and Hayling will be honored
2 recipients for La Florida Award
Posted: January 28, 2013 - 9:55pm
2 recipients for La Florida Award
In a decision that was anything but unanimous, the St. Augustine City Commission decided Monday night that two men will receive the La Florida Award.
While all five commissioners were in agreement that Herbert L. “Herbie” Wiles and Dr. Robert B. Hayling were worthy of recognition, there was fiery debate on the issue of them both being recipients this year.
The normal protocol is for the La Florida Award to be shared by no more than eight living members at any time. And each recipient must be voted in unanimously.
However, two commissioners brought nominations forward, making it impossible for either Wiles or Hayling to get unanimous choices.
That left the commission with the option of changing the rules in some way or having no immediate replacement for the late Jerry Kass.
What to do about the impasse resulted in debate.
Commissioner Leanna Freeman and Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline were the most vocal for each respective side.
Sikes-Kline, who nominated Hayling, first introduced the plan of expanding the award to 10 living recipients.
“Changing the number is the expedient way to honor both of these honorable men,” Commissioner Bill Leary said.
Commissioner Roxanne Horvath recommended that the number be altered to nine, which seemed to mollify Sikes-Kline and Leary. Leary had nominated Wiles.
Freeman didn’t like either expansion. She also found it unnecessary because Hayling had already been honored with the de Aviles Award and hasn’t lived here for almost five decades.
“I absolutely don’t support changing it,” Freeman said. “My feeling is we should have a moratorium on this now.”
Freeman said it was the commission’s job to make difficult decisions rather than just change the rules when it suited them. She said there was nothing wrong with the La Florida Award slot being vacant until a choice was made.
“You’re changing the rules for political convenience,” Freeman said.
Sikes-Kline countered: “That is cynical.”
Freeman asked the commission if she had brought forth a nomination of her own, would they further expand the award.
Her objections were not shared by the rest of the commission, however.
After adopting a resolution that would allow for the expansion of La Florida Award recipients to nine living members and that their selection be based on a simple majority, the commission voted to allow both Wiles and Hayling to receive the award.
Voting for Wiles was unanimous, but Freeman voted against Hayling because of the objections she had already voiced about the awards changes.
Mayor Joe Boles said the entire process of choosing the La Florida Award was flawed and suggested a moratorium on future awards until the commission can come up with a more appropriate system.
“We made this problem ourselves; we’ll fix it ourselves,” he said.
Boles also stressed to the public that the commission’s bickering over the award process should not tarnish the honor for Hayling and Wiles.
“We are delighted they will be La Florida Award winners,” he said.
Prior to the actual vote, Leary gave an emotional account of his decision to nominate Wiles for the award. Leary said he’d had a long conversation with Kass not long before he died. He said it inspired him to find someone worthy to replace Kass as a La Florida Award winner.
And to prove just how gracious Wiles is, Leary said, the longtime philanthropist even asked to be withdrawn from consideration if it was going to cause a fight.
Instead, a compromise was struck, and Wiles and Hayling can both enjoy the city’s highest honor.
“He (Wiles) is everything this award was intended to be,” Leary said.
In a decision that was anything but unanimous, the St. Augustine City Commission decided Monday night that two men will receive the La Florida Award.
While all five commissioners were in agreement that Herbert L. “Herbie” Wiles and Dr. Robert B. Hayling were worthy of recognition, there was fiery debate on the issue of them both being recipients this year.
The normal protocol is for the La Florida Award to be shared by no more than eight living members at any time. And each recipient must be voted in unanimously.
However, two commissioners brought nominations forward, making it impossible for either Wiles or Hayling to get unanimous choices.
That left the commission with the option of changing the rules in some way or having no immediate replacement for the late Jerry Kass.
What to do about the impasse resulted in debate.
Commissioner Leanna Freeman and Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline were the most vocal for each respective side.
Sikes-Kline, who nominated Hayling, first introduced the plan of expanding the award to 10 living recipients.
“Changing the number is the expedient way to honor both of these honorable men,” Commissioner Bill Leary said.
Commissioner Roxanne Horvath recommended that the number be altered to nine, which seemed to mollify Sikes-Kline and Leary. Leary had nominated Wiles.
Freeman didn’t like either expansion. She also found it unnecessary because Hayling had already been honored with the de Aviles Award and hasn’t lived here for almost five decades.
“I absolutely don’t support changing it,” Freeman said. “My feeling is we should have a moratorium on this now.”
Freeman said it was the commission’s job to make difficult decisions rather than just change the rules when it suited them. She said there was nothing wrong with the La Florida Award slot being vacant until a choice was made.
“You’re changing the rules for political convenience,” Freeman said.
Sikes-Kline countered: “That is cynical.”
Freeman asked the commission if she had brought forth a nomination of her own, would they further expand the award.
Her objections were not shared by the rest of the commission, however.
After adopting a resolution that would allow for the expansion of La Florida Award recipients to nine living members and that their selection be based on a simple majority, the commission voted to allow both Wiles and Hayling to receive the award.
Voting for Wiles was unanimous, but Freeman voted against Hayling because of the objections she had already voiced about the awards changes.
Mayor Joe Boles said the entire process of choosing the La Florida Award was flawed and suggested a moratorium on future awards until the commission can come up with a more appropriate system.
“We made this problem ourselves; we’ll fix it ourselves,” he said.
Boles also stressed to the public that the commission’s bickering over the award process should not tarnish the honor for Hayling and Wiles.
“We are delighted they will be La Florida Award winners,” he said.
Prior to the actual vote, Leary gave an emotional account of his decision to nominate Wiles for the award. Leary said he’d had a long conversation with Kass not long before he died. He said it inspired him to find someone worthy to replace Kass as a La Florida Award winner.
And to prove just how gracious Wiles is, Leary said, the longtime philanthropist even asked to be withdrawn from consideration if it was going to cause a fight.
Instead, a compromise was struck, and Wiles and Hayling can both enjoy the city’s highest honor.
“He (Wiles) is everything this award was intended to be,” Leary said.
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