Cyndi Stevenson "Irked" By Wanchick's Contract

Posted November 7, 2010 01:00 am - Updated November 9, 2010 07:44 pm
By PETER GUINTA peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Wanchick contract irks Stevenson

Changes mean administrator ‘almost untouchable,’ says county commissioner


The St. Johns County Commission approved several dozen tiny revisions in County Administrator Michael Wanchick’s contract last week, but not without one commissioner calling the board’s contract method “an abdication of responsibility.”

Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson, lone dissenter in the 4-1 vote, said the entirety of Wanchick’s contract “makes the county manager almost untouchable. It’s as if the House and Senate told the governor, ‘We really like you. Here, you make all the decisions.’ That’s what happened.”

The latest contract changes featured no new compensation or benefits to Wanchick.

“I think Mr. Wanchick’s a great county administrator, but the county needs checks and balances, just like any other government,” Stevenson said.

Since Wanchick was hired in June 2007, he’s received high marks from residents and commissioners for his listening skills, efficiency, transparency and the $151 million cut from the budget. He is paid $170,000 per year and has a five-year contract with an automatic two-year renewal.

In three meetings held on Wanchick’s contract, the board:

* On Nov. 3, 2009, extended his contract another five years.

* On April 6, increased his severance provision to three years from one year.

* On Nov. 2, approved several minor “housekeeping” revisions to a new ordinance governing the county administrator and matching his current contract.

Outgoing County Commissioner Phil Mays made the motion to pass the latter changes. Mays' term ends later this month when Jay Morris of Ponte Vedra is sworn in.

"(Wanchick has) done an incredible job during difficult times, giving us effective and efficient management, and leadership for the staff," Mays said. "We want to keep this person on board."

Stevenson asked, “I agree with the board, we need him and he has performed very well. (But) how much protection does a good administrator need?”

She pushed for two amendments to be added: One would make the contract available to the public when it is discussed; and the second would extend the notice the administrator is required to give notice from three months to six months.

Both items will be discussed on a future commission agenda.

She said the contract was structured this way because the commission perceived a coming “tumultuous political environment.”

Commission Chair Ron Sanchez touched heavily on the “political environment” comment.

"For 10 years previously, except for (Interim County Administrator) Wally Kropacek, we didn’t have any administration. We had a political appointment. We had a dictatorship," he said. "I don't ever want anything like that to ever happen in this county again."

He did not name names. The county administrator before Kropacek was Ben Adams, who retired in January 2007. He ran against Sanchez and two other candidates in the primary in August and lost.

“If the contract is one-sided, and that’s what we have to do, that’s what we will do,” Sanchez said.

County Attorney Patrick McCormack said the most important changes in language was redefining the possible reasons why a county manager would be fired.

Text removed from the ordinance said an administrator could be fired for “gross insubordination, material violation of county policies, material breach of this agreement, excessive absenteeism, gross negligence and/or dereliction of duties.”

That was replaced with: “Misfeasance, malfeasance and/or nonfeasance in performance of the County Administrator’s duties.”

Stevenson said no other county administrator in Florida has a three-year severance package.

So, if the commission fires Wanchick without cause, he would be due $510,000 automatically, she said.

Stevenson indicated that she’s still troubled about the process used to hammer out the contract.

"The board has acted and their decision is final,” she said. “But right now, (the county administrator) has job security and we have nothing."