Question over manager/clerk duties
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Starke city commissioners are ready to restore the title of city manager to Drew Mullins, but a revamped ordinance was tabled last week for clarification about separation of duties with the city clerk.
Commissioner Danny Nugent ask for more time to answer questions about finance duties. He later clarified he believes they belong with the city clerk’s office, where they have been assigned historically.
The commission first assigned Mullins finance when Jimmy Crosby resigned the city clerk’s position. Mullins’ job changed to general manager when Crosby was appointed chief administrative officer. Mullins oversaw utilities, and authority over other departments, including finance, was given to Crosby.
Crosby retired during an investigation into his leadership, so the commission is restoring the full city manager position to Mullins, pending approval of the new ordinance. The ordinance clearly places the manager over the finance department and operations. This includes responsibility for all personnel matters.
At the same time, the city is electing a new city clerk this week, and this will be the first time the city has had a clerk since 2024. The ordinance states the manger will oversee every department but the clerk’s office.
Separation of duties between the clerk and manager an issue since the first city management ordinance in 2002, which had them sharing responsibilities — the clerk over finance and the manager over budget. Communication or the lack thereof was often the cause of conflict. Even commissioners found it difficult to get financial information. So much so that in 2018 Commissioner Janice Mortimer, then serving as mayor, called on the commission to switch things up and place finance under the city manager. She said running from one side of city hall to the other and still receiving no answers was frustrating.
John Cooper was city attorney then and examined the duties assigned to the clerk by the city charter. The clerk’s primary duties are to keep minutes of all meetings and ordinances adopted by the commission. The charter also designates the clerk as treasurer and tax collector. That was important, he said, because it is from those positions that most of the clerk’s financial duties arise, including receiving and keeping account of all monies and issuing checks.
The charter is silent on responsibility for preparing budgets, however. It was the 2002 ordinance that placed budget preparation under the city manager.
It wasn’t until the clerk’s office became vacant in 2024 that things changed. The ordinance amending the clerk’s duties placed finance in the hands of the city manager. The clerk was still the city’s treasurer and records keeper. All personnel matters, including the clerk’s office, were placed in the manager’s hands, with supervision in finance provided by the manager and finance director.
Crosby came back briefly as CAO, assuming command of everything but utilities. The ordinance being considered now would restore Mullins as city manager over all departments, including financial operations. That includes duties that were once the clerk’s like providing financial reports. As an elected official, the clerk would maintain independence over that office.
Nugent said voters chose to have an elected clerk during this year’s referendum and that all finance duties should be restored to that office.
Nugent and Mullins haven’t seen eye to eye over this, with Mullins saying this ordinance is the same ordinance the commission approved last year placing finance under his direction. Mullins said that he is ultimately going to do what a majority of commissioners want him to.
In the meantime, commissioners gave Nugent the “professional courtesy,” as Mortimer put it, to get his questions answered before proceeding to a vote. But based on discussions, the other commissioners did not agree with his objections. The ordinance will be back before board on Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
GOP Patriots Dinner welcomes Rep. Byron Donalds
Join the Bradford GOP on Friday, Aug. 29, for an evening with special guest Congressman Byron Donalds at the Governor Charley E. Johns Conference Center beginning at 6 p.m. The location is 1610 N. Temple Ave. in Starke. Buffet and cash bar provided by the Downtown Grill.
Tickets are $65 and a table of 8 is $520, payable by personal check, business check, cashier’s check or money order made out to BCREC and mailed to BCREC, P.O. Box 213, Starke, FL 32091. If you mail a check your tickets will be available for pick up at the door.
The purchase of a ticket is a donation to the Bradford Republican Party and is not refundable. For tickets or more information, contact BCREC Treasurer Donna Solze at 904-364-6076.
Contributions or gifts to the Bradford GOP are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. Congressman Byron Donalds is appearing as a special guest and is not soliciting any funds associated with this event. All solicitations of funds in connection with this event are by the Bradford GOP and not by Congressman Byron Donalds or any federal officeholder.
