A Disturbing Slide in AB



Sunday’s editorial weighs in on the unfortunate turn that Atlantic Beach seems to have taken in recent weeks:

We’ve watched with growing concern over the past few weeks as the new regime has taken control in Atlantic Beach. Since council members Windy Price and Carolyn Cole were seated in late July, the tiny town with the big issues has been going through a spasm of transformation.

Members of any governing council deserve some latitude to work in. As observers, we cannot be privy to all of the issues and events affecting a community to the same extent as those in charge. Nevertheless, as we’ve listened to voices from the community and kept an eye on the transition – or the lack thereof – a number of recent decisions have given us pause.

The first sign of a brewing problem was the clean wipe of town workers at the first meeting of the new council. It’s understandable that a new council may want to work with some different people, but the scope of the firings was startling. The entire police force, judges, town clerk, town lawyer, financial officer and clerk of courts were all let go. The town manager, William Booker, was sent on a three-week vacation from which he was not asked to return.

Booker said this week that he eventually heard secondhand that he was fired. “I got a call last Tuesday night from some citizens who attended the meeting, that was a special called meeting, that I have been terminated. But I haven’t even heard anything from the administration.”

With nobody left in the office who knew how the town was run on a daily basis it’s not surprising that the subsequent weeks have been somewhat chaotic. The entire affair has been handled with astoundingly little thought for a smooth transition. It’s certainly within the council’s purview to replace employees, but surely it could have been accomplished over a few weeks, with some overlap that would allow former workers to train new ones and effect a smoother changeover.

Instead, the new town manager, Benny Webb, and the recently seated council members are complaining that the financial records are in disarray and that they’re spending hours sifting through papers to figure out how much the town owes to whom. Puzzling is the new regime’s contention that the town’s computerized financial records were mysteriously wiped out on July 28, two days after the new council members were seated and all of the town’s financial officers were fired. The assertion is particularly mystifying because Booker and others say that checks were issued from those computerized systems as late as July 29.

Concern has also grown about the state of the town’s police files, which included evidence in cases involving the new council members. Former police Lt. Randy Fisher has voiced concern that the sanctity and secrecy of that evidence has been compromised, and Rep. Tracy Edge confirmed Friday that SLED agents had visited town hall after the allegations.

Beyond the town’s anarchic transition, the new leaders’ stated priorities are troubling. Webb has said that after the finances are straightened out, he has an order for paying off debts, with court case settlements at the top, ahead of public safety, utilities and state bills. Paying off court debts is certainly necessary, but because at least $122,000 of that court debt is due to new Councilwoman Carolyn Cole, putting it at the top of the list seems more suspect than it might otherwise.

Calls to Cole this week went unanswered, and Webb, contacted twice, said that he was too busy to talk until at least the middle of this coming week.

Booker, who said that he’s now enjoying his retirement once again, admitted that Atlantic Beach has debt – “no one should be surprised,” he said – but under his management the town had begun paying it down.

“We had $132,000 in the current budget allocated to debt reduction,” Booker said. “We weren’t trying to satisfy the debt all at once. … The plan was to take a balanced approach of trying to keep the town moving, to provide the services to the citizens, to continue to enhance the town and move it forward.”

Indeed, Booker seemed to have the town headed toward a more solid financial footing, with the town’s first financial audits in recent memory in the works, and a new emphasis on accounting and bookkeeping. That emphasis is now in doubt. We say in doubt because it’s hard to say what the council is thinking when their recent meetings have been held with little or no notice and largely in executive session. If the new leaders of the town wish us to have more confidence in their abilities, a willingness to abide by the state’s open meetings laws would be a good place to start.

In the meantime, we would remind those in Atlantic Beach of the election approaching in November, which will allow voters to offer their own assessment. Pay close attention now to the actions of those who might seek to remain your leaders and make your choices accordingly.

The first sign of a brewing problem was the clean wipe of town workers at the first meeting of the new council. It’s understandable that a new council may want to work with some different people, but the scope of the firings was startling. The entire police force, judges, town clerk, town lawyer, financial officer and clerk of courts were all let go. The town manager, William Booker, was sent on a three-week vacation from which he was not asked to return.

Booker said this week that he eventually heard secondhand that he was fired. “I got a call last Tuesday night from some citizens who attended the meeting, that was a special called meeting, that I have been terminated. But I haven’t even heard anything from the administration.”

With nobody left in the office who knew how the town was run on a daily basis it’s not surprising that the subsequent weeks have been somewhat chaotic. The entire affair has been handled with astoundingly little thought for a smooth transition. It’s certainly within the council’s purview to replace employees, but surely it could have been accomplished over a few weeks, with some overlap that would allow former workers to train new ones and effect a smoother changeover.

Instead, the new town manager, Benny Webb, and the recently seated council members are complaining that the financial records are in disarray and that they’re spending hours sifting through papers to figure out how much the town owes to whom. Puzzling is the new regime’s contention that the town’s computerized financial records were mysteriously wiped out on July 28, two days after the new council members were seated and all of the town’s financial officers were fired. The assertion is particularly mystifying because Booker and others say that checks were issued from those computerized systems as late as July 29.

Concern has also grown about the state of the town’s police files, which included evidence in cases involving the new council members. Former police Lt. Randy Fisher has voiced concern that the sanctity and secrecy of that evidence has been compromised, and Rep. Tracy Edge confirmed Friday that SLED agents had visited town hall after the allegations.

Beyond the town’s anarchic transition, the new leaders’ stated priorities are troubling. Webb has said that after the finances are straightened out, he has an order for paying off debts, with court case settlements at the top, ahead of public safety, utilities and state bills. Paying off court debts is certainly necessary, but because at least $122,000 of that court debt is due to new Councilwoman Carolyn Cole, putting it at the top of the list seems more suspect than it might otherwise.

Calls to Cole this week went unanswered, and Webb, contacted twice, said that he was too busy to talk until at least the middle of this coming week.

Booker, who said that he’s now enjoying his retirement once again, admitted that Atlantic Beach has debt – “no one should be surprised,” he said – but under his management the town had begun paying it down.

“We had $132,000 in the current budget allocated to debt reduction,” Booker said. “We weren’t trying to satisfy the debt all at once. … The plan was to take a balanced approach of trying to keep the town moving, to provide the services to the citizens, to continue to enhance the town and move it forward.”

Indeed, Booker seemed to have the town headed toward a more solid financial footing, with the town’s first financial audits in recent memory in the works, and a new emphasis on accounting and bookkeeping. That emphasis is now in doubt. We say in doubt because it’s hard to say what the council is thinking when their recent meetings have been held with little or no notice and largely in executive session. If the new leaders of the town wish us to have more confidence in their abilities, a willingness to abide by the state’s open meetings laws would be a good place to start.

In the meantime, we would remind those in Atlantic Beach of the election approaching in November, which will allow voters to offer their own assessment. Pay close attention now to the actions of those who might seek to remain your leaders and make your choices accordingly.