Sources: Gretsas To Leave Fort Lauderdale Early
BY BUDDY NEVINS
City Manager George Gretsas will be out of Fort Lauderdale City Hall as early as next week, say sources.
Anti-Gretsas city commissioners Charlotte Rodstrom, Bruce Roberts and Mayor Jack Seiler are working the phones overtime to find a quick replacement for the manager.
Eventually being shown the door along with Gretsas will be the handful of $100,000-plus buddies he brought with him from New York.
This big city hall shakeup is no surprise. The newly elected city commission– they took office in March — wants its own manager and other higher-ups.
Three early favorites being talked about as temporary replacement: two former assistant city managers Budd Bentley and Pete Witschen and former City Manager Connie Hoffman.
This backroom deal making has the overpowering stench of Sunshine Law violations. In a combative city hall like Fort Lauderdale, the anti-Gretsas faction had better watch out.
It only takes hitting a send button to file an ethics complaint.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Gretsas is a lame duck. He will have no power and no direction for the remainder of his contract. He needs to leave immediately, if not sooner, for the good of the city.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Charlotte Rodstrom was right about George all along. He built an empire here and nobody elected him king. We need to send him back to White Plains.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:09 am
What were you thinking George? How curious.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Oh my God! Not Budd Bentley and Peter Witschen. That’s going backwards – not forward.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Jack Seiler was elected to bring a new day to Fort Lauderdale. The first step is to get a new city manager. I applaud his deciding vote to bring change to Fort Lauderdale.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Hey George maybe your make believe girlfriend will take care of you, whats the wedding date of the no name girl ?????????
November 20th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
where were you LOSERS when you could have had the balls to be there to speak? Rather you let a political sideshow take precedence over progress. His fiancee’s name is Yvette, but why on earth would he share THAT with people that are so DUMB they think this is normal behavior, or that Seiler, Roberts, or worst of all Rodstrom did not SUNSHINE THE HELL out of this insult to the whole City. Good grief..the City has been harmed…show some respect to a man who has devoted 5 years and made our City a better place.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:42 am
I would buy him a ticket out of town. He has created his own empire of lackies in city hall who don’t do anything but collect a paycheck. It you have a problem that needs the help of the staff, forget it.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:52 am
George Gretsas is the classic example of what happens to that smart kid who used to wear black socks to gym class. The kid that other kids used to take turns slapping on the back of the head just to see how far his glasses would fly.
Guys like that grow up with deep resentment. Then they become city managers. And suddenly wearing black socks to gym class becomes fashionable.
There are many smart people out there who are less damaged. George Gretsas is a power hungry little twerp playing out his characature of what an executive is supposed to act like, all the while trying to make up for the fact that he is nothing more than a twerp in a suit.
Let him slither out of town with the rest of the snakes. Bring in someone who can do the job and still be a normal, basically decent guy to do business with. That’s never been Gretsas’ style.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Buddy:
Although you have been one of the best and most reliable members of the local media and you have generally been accurate in your coverage, I must dispute the above post.
First, I am not an “anti-Gretsas” Mayor. Based upon the reasons already discussed and debated in public, I decided not to give George a three (3) year renewal of his employment contract. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, as I had to consider numerous factors beyond his past job performance (which had been generally solid).
Second, I have not made any telephone calls concerning George’s exit or George’s replacement. I also have not had any communications with Hoffman, Bentley, Witschen or anybody else (including Tim Smith) about becoming the next City Manager. Further, I have not had any “backroom” discussions about the City Manager position with any elected member of our City Commission. My impression has been that our City Commissioners fully understand the meaning, intent, spirit, and significance of our Sunshine Laws.
Third, as I previously stated, I will be sitting down with George in the near future to discuss where we go from here, and where the City goes from here. George has a contract through next summer and I would expect that George and the City would honor that contract. George has been a professional and responsible City Manager, and I have no reason to believe that George will not remain a professional and responsible City Manager. When the time comes to make a final decision about George’s future, I can assure the public and you that the City Commission, George Gretsas, and I will all put the best interests of the City of Fort Lauderdale first.
Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Buddy:
On another note, although I would never ask or expect you to reveal your sources, I would strongly suggest that you “discount” those sources in the future as far as they may relate to me.
Your “sources”, for whatever reason, may have steered you wrong on this one.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
a wise friend once told me “City Managers are hired to be fired” in the scope of things five years is a long time. – but history tells me “it aint over til its over”
I will say Jack Seiler is the voice I will listen to – he is proven to be a thoughful and dedicated guy.