QUINCY, FL. (WTXL) - Citizen For A Better Quincy chairperson Willie Banks announced Tuesday his agreement with Quincy City Commissioner Keith Dowdell in requesting the immediate resignation of Interim City Manager Mike Wade.
After learning that Commissioner Dowdell informed Wade of his displeasure in his job skills and requested that he resign, members of the Citizens For A Better Quincy met and agreed that in light of recent events and unfavorable acts committed by Wade including: his recent misrepresentation of the truth with a local television reporter regarding Gadsden County Commissioner Sherrie Taylor's non-profit organization the Children Are Our Future light bill, which led to a whistle blower complaint being filed by the director of customer service; breaking the Florida Truth in Millage Act (TRIM-200) and violating Florida's Public Records law Florida Statute 119 when he ordered the destruction of public records, he is unfit to serve as the city of Quincy's city manager.
The group expressed their disapproval in the direction that the city is taking under the leadership and direction of Wade. Under his leadership the city has failed to comply with the Chapter 200 provisions that require that the notice of the final adoption of the budget occur within 15 days of the adoption of the tentative budget. The tentative budget was adopted on September 10. Wade scheduled a September 23 hearing to adopt the final budget; however the matter was pulled from the agenda because the public hearing for the adoption of the final budget was not advertised. As a result of Wade not properly advertising the meeting, the city of Quincy is in noncompliance of Chapter 200 advertising provision, because the final hearing was not advertised within 15 days of the September 10 hearing.
"It is unfortunate the Mayor Elias selected an individual to lead our city who does not possess the skill set required to manage a city. Mr. Wade's public admission of never preparing a city budget served as a footnote of what the citizens of Quincy could expect during this budget process," Banks said. "Our city and city employees are suffering unforgivable anguish and stress as a result of both Mr. Wade and Mr. Elias' decision to stand in the way of progress rather than moving aside for the betterment of the city. Our citizens deserve better treatment from some of our elected officials on the commission."
Banks also expressed his disappointment in Wade for not properly advertising the second public hearing on the millage rate for the 2014/2105 budget as required by law. According to members of the group Wade made no attempt to comply with Chapter 200 advertising requirement for the millage rate in any newspaper in the area. The consequence of his incompetent action is that on October 1, the start of a new budget year: the city is prohibited from levying a millage on property and is subject to forfeiting the distribution of the local government half-cent sales tax revenues. The city planned to spend $971,900 in Ad Valorem revenue and $1,367,439 in state revenues during the next fiscal year.
"We have an interim city manager that clearly is in way above his head in his current position." Banks said." "Mr. Wade is fully aware of the fact that we have two media outlets in Gadsden County, however he chose to advertise our budget in the Tallahassee Democrat. In addition to that he advertise the wrong budget, he advertised the 2013/2014 budget instead of the 2014/2015 budget as the law requires."
Quincy residents and/or voters who want to join Citizens For A Better Quincy can call (850) 296-9182 for more information.
