Is Key Colony Beach changing the City Administrator position?

KCB suffered under an autocratic rule that the current commission is working to overcome. Mayor-City Administrator Joey Raspe reviewed the latest revised city administrator job description and contract at the May, 2024 city commission meeting.

The Commission approved this revised job description and employment agreement.

The job description the commission approved is very ... specific for a position still referred to in our codes as "City Administrator."

The job title turns a lot of people off. Here are some other suggested titles:

• City Coordinator
• City Lead
• Assistant Director
• Senior Something
• Operating Officer

This position reports to both the City Clerk and City Commission and has a variety of responsibilities but has little "official" authority.

The position will implement the policy and other directions of the commission, coordinate the day to day operation of city government including what the department heads for public works, the building department, code enforcement, the sewer plant, and city administration do but without managerial authority over any of them, plus will develop the planning, budgets and capital improvement efforts, manage contracts and grants, and will represent the City to other governments, outside agencies, and city residents. The position is responsible for the city's "efficient and effective operation."

The person in this position is the communicator between the individual Commissioners to discuss city business "and important matters." That means he or she runs messages when the sunshine law doesn't let commissioners talk to each other. He or she will also coordinate and assist all paid and volunteer staff and does have the authority to approve expenditures.

The dual reporting role and responsibility without management but with financial authority creates a management structure that appears to offer organizations and their employees advantages such as shared knowledge, more informed decisions, and better morale but people in the trenches know the reality is different. The disadvantages include lowered morale, a lack of clarity, conflicts, and far slower processes.

KCB suffered under an autocratic rule that the current commission is overcoming. Even a small staff like ours has to guard against the misaligned goals, unclear roles and responsibilities, ambiguous authority, confusion, and silo-focused employees that this management structure promotes.