The August 26 Pahokee City Commission meeting ended in a consequential announcement. City Manager Michael Jackson announced his resignation that would be effective by the end of September. As someone who has been attending commission meetings and/or watching them online since 1999, I totally foresaw this happening. I gave this result happening within six months and was shocked it came much sooner. If you have been watching the city meetings since the last election, you could see this was coming to fruition.

I am sure Manager Jackson did not come to his decision lightly. Seeing what he has had to endure during public meetings and the way certain commissioners wanted to micro-manage his day-to-day operations, I conclude any reasonable person would come to the decision to step down. It has been evident that Cowan, McPherson, and Scott have had disdain for Jackson’s management style and how he stood up for himself in meetings.

I agreed with his outspokenness against interfering with daily operations, as well as, questioning the effectiveness of his administration and staff. Cowan, McPherson, and Scott provided a hostile working environment if you only look at how they handled the public meetings.

With their action, they have crowned themselves the Bohlen, Perez, and Gonzalez 2.0. At every turn, they over questioned the manager and over sought documentation backing up every action and decision by the administration.

In short, the majority of Cowan, McPherson, and Scott did not have trust in their own city staff. On more than one occasion, Mayor Babb has brought up the need for the commission to at some point, trust your staff. Keep your eye on this new Commission majority and how they handle this manager vacancy because the way they did the commission seat vacancy and vote was anything other than transparent, unbiased, and prearranged.

I strongly believe that this new vacancy in the City Manager position puts Pahokee in yet another detrimental situation. Unfortunately, Pahokee’s reputation and history with Municipal Managers continues its downward spiral. Pahokee is at a standstill and sadly is going to remain there. The city will not soon recover from yet another loss of a manager. Pahokee can’t keep a city manager because of the Commission and the community. The community refuses to step up and fight for any of their managers. Ask yourself, who would want to come be manager with Pahokee’s track record? Who would want to become staff for the city with its history? Who would want to put forth government funding for a dysfunctional partner? Pahokee is becoming the black eye of the Glades.

I put the blame and responsibility of this manager outcome squarely on the words and actions of Cowan, McPherson, and Scott. Make no mistake, they caused this manager resignation. The new majority on the Commission owns this mess and result. The worst part of this outcome at last night’s meeting, is that Pahokee is dead at the State level for funding next year. Levels of government will not be forthcoming with funds for a city that can’t or won’t keep a city manager. Those who really know me or have been reading my letters to the editor in the Belle Glade Sun Newspaper (now the Lake Okeechobee News) since 1999, know that I have been a steadfast proponent of Pahokee keeping its city charter. However, I must admit, it is getting harder and harder to maintain that fight when Pahokee constantly places itself in the current position it is in. I’m hoping for great commission candidates in the next city election.

David Joseph Ruiz
Pahokee Advocate