Mayor Accepts Bill Killingsworth's Resignation

[riverside planner]

Also I just got the full list of people fired.  Included in the list is Teresa Price, the longtime director of special events.  And Christina Langton from the same office.

Where can one find this list?

[Lunican]

Now that our taxes are low and we don't have a planning director the job creators should be pouring in, right?

[Springfielder]

Good luck Stephen. The zoning code rewrite is imperative to TOD development. Someone in City Hall needs to understand this.

we literally cannot afford to lose this guy for that reason alone, Fsujax.  And we also literally cannot afford to replace him with a person of comparable talent.  This is one of the most random acts of capriciousness that I think Ive ever personally witnessed in this town. 

John Peyton won in a large landslide, and was richer than most people on the planet.  He was beyond convincing of anything, and really didnt care if he won or lost the second election.  Hard guy to convince of anything.

Alvin won with a razor slim margin, and represents a coalition of regular people, metrojacksonville included.

His people cannot govern like republican autocrats, unless I miss my guess.  We need to remember who is responsible for this city.  Us.

And we should take a more participatory role.   In fact, I think we intend to.

Exactly! Killingsworth needs to remain exactly where he's been. I am appalled by this decision, and at this point...Alvin Brown needs to fix this or he's lost my vote for the next term....Killingsworth has been instrumental in the mothballing bill, and he needs to be in place to help see it come to life

[dougskiles]

Anyone know what it means for him to accept a civil service position?  Would he still be the Director of Planning & Development?

Aside from keeping a job, what benefit would it have for him?  I imagine that if he did take the civil service route, we can fully expect that he takes the next real job offer that comes his way.

I really like Bill and am very grateful for what he has done for us as Director.  If he chooses to go, I wish him the best of luck.  Thanks for a job well done!  Hopefully we can keep some of these good things going.

[Ocklawaha]

STREETCAR = SILENCE!

JRTC PLAN = DEBACLE!

TERESA PRICE = CALAMITY!

BILL KILLINGSWORTH = CATACLYSM!

Absolutely we need to meet with the mayor, from my point of view we have 4 very good reasons to speak with him, any one of which could be city makers.

I think we'd all do well to remember he is new to the office. Cut him some slack, as the learning curve has got to be stratospheric. I'm not willing to pull my future, very vocal support, based on a single mistake or two, but blowing it on all 4 of the above would require closer consideration.

JEDC is gone, mosquito control and our already deplorable road maintenance are all being strangled.


OCKLAWAHA

[ChriswUfGator]

Anyone know what it means for him to accept a civil service position?  Would he still be the Director of Planning & Development?

No. Based on his service, he may be entitled to a civil service job somewhere else at COJ, but nothing guarantees him the right to any particular job title. The Planning Director serves at the pleasure of the Mayor, he can hire who he sees fit. FWIW, this is a crap decision by Alvin Brown. Killingsworth was definitely a keeper.

[dougskiles]

FWIW, this is a crap decision by Alvin Brown. Killingsworth was definitely a keeper.

Agreed - but I bet there are many out there dancing in their strip-mall parking lots right now.

[strider]

So, Jacksonville actually gets a Planing Director that seems to have a clue of what is needed for Jacksonville to actually move forward into this new century and he gets told to leave?  Perhaps the Mayor needs to get a clue.  Of course, this is Jacksonville after all. We shall avoid real progress at all costs!

[iloveionia]

I received a phone call about 1 year ago from Bill Killingsworth.  He asked me what I thought about his office writing and pushing forward mothballing legislation.  I literally cried; I was beyond estatic.  He most definitely LISTENED to our pleas for saving Springfield.  He most definitely was instrumental in getting his staff and other players involved in making this happen.  He is the face that made mothballing become real.  I hug him everytime I see him as I am so grateful. 

I try not to make sense of too much in Jacksonville.  Not a whole lot "makes sense." 

[Dashing Dan]

After all of the effort that went into the transition team meetings and reports, this does not seem like something that could have been expected.

[GatorNation]

They also fired the two receptionists, including Alice Newman, who has served four mayors. Glenda as well.

Now thats just plain mean.

Agreed.  But there's more . . .

[GatorNation]

Good luck Stephen. The zoning code rewrite is imperative to TOD development. Someone in City Hall needs to understand this.

we literally cannot afford to lose this guy for that reason alone, Fsujax.  And we also literally cannot afford to replace him with a person of comparable talent.  This is one of the most random acts of capriciousness that I think Ive ever personally witnessed in this town. 

John Peyton won in a large landslide, and was richer than most people on the planet.  He was beyond convincing of anything, and really didnt care if he won or lost the second election.  Hard guy to convince of anything.

Alvin won with a razor slim margin, and represents a coalition of regular people, metrojacksonville included.

His people cannot govern like republican autocrats, unless I miss my guess.  We need to remember who is responsible for this city.  Us.

And we should take a more participatory role.   In fact, I think we intend to.

Well said.  Long time lurker, but generally don't have much to say.  Today's massacre, however, changes everything.  Bill Killingsworth is the best Planning Director we've had in 2 decades.  He is apolitical, so party affiliation is irrelevant.  He IS the "best and the brightest" for that job.  He is fair and he is principled.  I don't always agree with him, but it's not his job to make me happy.  He has a vision for what's best for the CIty, and he sticks with it (without resort to political favoritism).  He is exactly the type of person who should be at the forefront of the City's transformation. This decision stinks, on multiple levels, and particularly in light of the fact that there's apparently no one even on the short list to replace him.  So this is what we've come to? I thought Alvin was going to bring transformational change that we could all embrace.  This "Code of Silence," double speak and "slash and burn" management practice is not what we need, and it's certainly not what we signed up for.

[Timkin]

Pretty shocking news .    I have to admit that i am very disappointed , so far with what is transpiring.   I have written the Mayor on a couple of occasions with no reply whatsoever.   I have no idea if he reads the threads on this site, but just in case he does :  Mayor Brown.. you are disappointing us, big time!

[tufsu1]

After all of the effort that went into the transition team meetings and reports, this does not seem like something that could have been expected.

there are folks that were high up on the transition team that were big Killingsworth supporters...not sure where this came from but the Mayor and his staff are definitely hearing about it!

[Ralph W]

Tom Goldsbury got the axe, and all these other people, too:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/66749935/9-28-COJ-Dismissals