SEILER HIGHLIGHTS
from 11/17/09 (see video)

• Gretsas issue causes divisiveness that is ‘unbelieveable ... It concerns me deeply’

• A City Commission 3-2 split on Gretsas is ‘very unhealthy ... It disrupts the synergy. ... You lose sight of your goals’

• Hundreds of emails ran 2-1 AGAINST Gretsas

• Gretsas’ contracts with 18 top aides could cost city millions in severance

Transcript & photos inside

Download audio mp3 of Seiler for your iPod/iPhone or other mp3 player. Listen while you walk the dog! (11.4 MB)

THINK POSITIVE, JACK

At the dramatic Nov. 17, 2009 City Commission meeting, Mayor Jack Seiler kept repeating an interesting phrase in talking about the future of George Gretsas:

Seiler said he couldn't commit to "A THREE-YEAR DEAL." The implication is that just maybe he could commit to a one-year deal.

Gretsas' poor management practices and pitiful people skills have divided the city and divided the Commission. That should be all Seiler needs to know. While Gretsas may suppress his dark instincts for a time, like Nixon, he will never change. Gretsas is a Dark Force that makes the trains run on time.

Commissioners Roberts and Rodstrom say "Gretsas Must Go." They will not back down. Given that, any contract extension would mean a slow, painful demise for the Gretsas Administration. That would be very bad for our city.

One of the things I like about our Mayor is his positive spirit. He now has the power to bring that positive spirit to the City Manager's office by replacing George Gretsas. That's exactly what he should vote to do.

When a new, more open, more honest City Manager is in place, it will be a happy day for Gretsas Huggers and Gretsas Haters alike. It will be a win-win. And Jack Seiler is the man who can make that happen. — Cal Deal

ROBERTS' KEY POINTS

(See transcript)

Download audio mp3s of Roberts for your iPod/iPhone or other mp3 player. Listen while you stroll through the Galleria!
Part 1 (10.9 MB) • Part 2 (9.4 MB)

• Gretsas verbally abuses and mistreats city staff

• Either agree with Gretsas ‘or you’re ostracized, you’re put down’

• Citizens are afraid to speak against Gretsas

• Gretsas mistreats City Auditor, Swimming Hall of Fame CEO

• Gretsas berates City Clerk for ‘for embarrassing him’

• Gretsas’ top-down control stifles creativity

• Gretsas hired inexperienced people for key jobs

• Gretsas didn’t cut spending — Silva did it

• Gretsas tightly restricts economic development

• Gretsas bottles up neighborhood development

• Gretsas racked up $91 million in unused tax revenues

• 'Unethical, and borderline illegal’ conduct in Federal Court

• Use of grant money — Where’s the honesty?

• Gretsas Administration dawdles on fire alarm overpayment issue

• Multi-million dollar cost overrun in Southside School project

• Gretsas Administration failed to deal with $2.5 million HUD payback

• ‘A lot’ of Gretsas’ public presentations ‘to me are misrepresentations’

• Gretsas ignored City Commission’s hiring freeze order

• Public records requests get stonewalled

• Change ‘is not gonna happen’ with Gretsas at the helm

City faces possibility of huge severance payout

Immediately after hearing Commissioner Roberts' speech condemning Gretsas, Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom decided to reveal a stack of documents she had been holding back: Contracts City Manager Gretsas signed with 18 top aides [see list held up by Rodstrom].

All of them include severance packages which total in the millions of dollars. Both Rodstrom and Mayor Jack Seiler indicated that they are disturbed by that potential liability.

None of the contracts had been shown to the City Commission prior to being executed, Rodstrom said. Gretsas has the authority to unilaterally enter into such contracts.

Five of the contracts, which run for two years, were signed just before this year's City Commission election.

Gretsas has substantially increased the number of "loyal staff members" who get such contracts. Previously many of those positions were division chiefs who did not report directly to the City Manager.

Gretsas put longtime P.R. flack David Hebert in charge of Police & Fire — What's wrong with that picture?

---

Former Police Chief Roberts criticizes appointment because Hebert lacked police experience

Click here to find out more

 

THE REEMERGENCE OF CONNIE HOFFMAN

Word is that former City Manager Connie Hoffman is once again interested in the job. I've never met or spoken to her; she had the job before I was an "active" citizen. But my impressions of her tenure are nothing but positive. – Cal Deal

By former Mayor Robert A. Dressler, April 2005:

"I served as mayor [of Fort Lauerdale] for two terms, through 1985, and when I left, the city was in great financial shape, with substantial financial reserves. Our focus was on planning for the future: There was the 1986 bond issue, which funded the beach redevelopment, Riverwalk, neighborhood improvement, etc. I credit City Manager Connie Hoffman and her excellent staff for much of what was accomplished. She never let us spend a penny more than was in the budget."