Lawyer questions need for manager

One of Clearwater's most influential lawyers says it's time to consider a "strong mayor'' form of government.

By THOMAS C. TOBIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

CLEARWATER -- Saying he is saddened by divisiveness in the city, lawyer Timothy A. Johnson Jr., one of Clearwater's most prominent and influential figures, is asking city officials to consider a fundamental change in the way the city is governed.

Now is a "logical and appropriate time" to consider making the mayor's job a full-time post and eliminate the city manager's job, Johnson proposed in a letter this week to city commissioners.

Some commissioners said Thursday that the "strong mayor" idea has merit and they would be willing to debate it.

Johnson's law partner, Ed Armstrong, also said he liked the idea and, as chairman of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, would consider exploring whether there is support from the business community.

Such a change would have to be put before voters as an amendment to the city charter. A ballot measure could be initiated by the City Commission or a citizen committee that gets signatures of 10 percent of the electorate.

Johnson suggested that commissioners appoint a committee of city residents that would evaluate the idea and report back in time to put the question before voters at the next city election in March.

Johnson, 54, is a lifelong resident of Clearwater and head of a downtown law firm -- Johnson Blakely Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns -- that has a long tradition of involving itself deeply in the city's political life.

In an interview, Johnson said the strong-mayor proposal came to him following the "traumatic experience" of the failed July 11 referendum over downtown redevelopment and the forced resignation of City Manager Mike Roberto.

As commissioners explore options for replacing Roberto, "I can't imagine a better time to examine the question," Johnson said. "I'm concerned with what we may end up with next."

He said the change would attract better candidates for mayor, increase voter interest and involve voters more directly in city government.

City commissioners reacted with mixed feelings, but most said Johnson's idea could be the start of something larger.

Commissioner Ed Hart said he has other ideas for improving City Hall and wasn't sure about the proposal, but added: "In concept, I think it makes sense. . . . Somebody's giving us a message that the City Commission's not doing it right, and maybe this is an opportunity we should consider."

He said he planned to study the idea himself, checking to see how strong mayors have worked in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

"I think it has merit," commissioner J.B. Johnson said. Given the difficulties suffered by recent city managers, he said, "maybe the strong mayor is the way to go. ... It's something to think about."

However, the commissioner questioned whether term limits would lead to a quick turnover of mayors as well. Under current law, Clearwater's mayor and commissioners may only serve two full consecutive terms of three years each. After a three-year break, they may run again.

The idea of a committee to study the proposal sounded fine, commissioner Johnson said, but March would be too soon to make such a big decision.

Commissioner Bob Clark also questioned the proposal's timing.

"This, I think, would kind of be a knee-jerk reaction to the events of the last month or two," he said. "It's too early after a very divisive referendum to consider such a stark change in the way our city runs."

Clark, however, opened the door to a debate, saying he would be "willing to be persuaded otherwise."

Commissioner Ed Hooper said he didn't know what the change would accomplish.

"My fear is that it would just be more expensive. You'll have someone as a strong mayor, making $100,000. Then that person is still going to have to hire someone under them to run the city."

Also, changing the chief executive's title doesn't mean that person is going to be any less controversial, he said. And with term limits, Hooper asked, "Who's going to want to give up their career for six years to go be mayor full time?"

In his letter to commissioners, Tim Johnson summarized the records of each city manager since Tony Shoemaker, saying "this is not a picture of success." Since Shoemaker, who served as city manager from 1977-87, the city has had a string of four short-time managers, most of whom were forced to leave.

Their average length of service was three years and four months. The national average is about six years.

Past commissions have raised the strong-mayor idea, but it has not been seriously considered in recent years.

He complained in his letter that the city's current system of government -- a five-member elected commission with an appointed city manager -- has "failed to prevent the fracturing of our city."

Clearwater is a city divided, he wrote: "Old versus young, business interests versus retirees, Scientologists versus anti-Scientologists, downtown proponents versus suburbanites and city officials versus skeptics."

Johnson chaired the city's most recent Charter Review Committee, which ended its work about a year ago. The notion of a strong mayor came to mind at the time, he said, but he dismissed it because "we had a strong city manager" in Roberto.

Johnson, who became a close adviser to Roberto, said his proposal would not solve all of Clearwater's problems.

"There's no perfect solution," he said. "But sometimes change is healthy."

- Times staff writer Christina Headrick contributed to this report.

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