"Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face." If you grew up with this admonition, as I did, this must sound rather trite; if it’s new to you, it probably sounds – well – weird. It’s one of those old folk sayings like, "Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water," whose origins are obscured by the weightier pronouncements of the world’s wise. Sometimes, though, those old folks had a simple grasp on reality that escapes worldly wisdom. Bluntly put, that means they were right on.
So what is this all about? What do ancient epigrams have to do with Green Cove
Springs’ recent Charter review? Quite a lot, as a matter-of-fact.
The 2009 – 2010 Charter Review Committee (CRC) finished its work and presented its final report to the City Council at their regular meeting two weeks ago. The report was not met with universal enthusiasm; in fact, Councilperson Bob Page questioned almost every item and Mayor Felecia Hampshire said she felt insulted by the cover letter that accompanied it.
One week later, the Council held a workshop which was joined by most of the CRC. In addition, members of the public spoke at both meetings.
Most of the public speakers objected to the tone of the CRC report and to the direction that they discerned the committee had taken.
Specifically, speakers condemned the report because, as they said, its sole purpose seemed to be to "get rid of" current City Manager Don Bowles. CRC Chairman Steve Duval, supported by committee members, denied the allegation and said he had instructed members at the onset of the review not to consider persons in their deliberations and decisions.
Nevertheless, speakers from the audience slammed the committee because so many of the items brought before the Council did involve the office of the City Manager and did seem to be prompted by issues that have swirled about the Manager for a number of years, specifically, the issue of residency.
The purpose of this column is not to condemn the CRC; it was composed of private citizens, all volunteers, who did their work as their lights gave them direction. If – IF they were motivated by a desire to remove Bowles from City employment, they substituted short-sightedness and politics for a genuine concern for the welfare of the city and its citizens.
It is one thing to demand residency from its manager, though many municipalities do not; it is quite another to circumscribe the definition of residency so severely that many potential qualified candidates in the future might be tempted to say, "The heck with it." Indeed, as Bowles pointed out, the City has had some managers who gave it four days a week and then went home, wherever that was, to spend a long weekend with his family who never did move to Green Cove Springs nor participate in the life of the community. Where do you suppose their interests were?
Bowles, however, was born and brought up in Green Cove Springs. His family came here in 1939. Bowles attended local schools and played championship football at Clay High School. He owns a home and property in Green Cove Springs on which he pays property taxes.
Bowles did, however, build a new home out on the river just north of town. Although the house is not within the city limits – yet – it is within the service area over which Bowles, as City Manager, presides.
Holy Scripture says, "A prophet is without honor in his own country." Although this was written a coupe of thousand years ago, it is as true today as it was then; I have seen it many times myself.
Some say Bowles has made mistakes. This is not surprising, most humans do. But he is not a dictator; he cannot impose his will on a City Council that has denied him many times in the past.
This, with the rest of the CRC proposals will go to the voters in referendum in April. By that time, Bowles will have less than a year to retirement; it would be the meanest of vendettas to pull the plug on him now.
February 4th 2010 - 4:29PM