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City Hall About to Explode? 

Wells Dunbar  Wed Sep 12, 4:26pm , 2007
Tags: City Council, Mike Martinez, Toby Futrell


Why is this man smiling?
Eclipsed by City Council's adoption of the Fiscal Year 2008 budget on Monday was another item of no small importance. Before the 11th-hour social services spend-a-thon marking the budget passage, the dais unanimously passed an item from council allocating $40,000 for "executive search and recruitment services" in the city's search for Toby Futrell's replacement as City Manger, and a companion item funding it out of the city's one-time funds.

Mike Martinez, who has no love lost with Futrell, called the incident "another joke." "It should've never had to be an item from council," Martinez told Chronic. "It was a directive from the City Manager: 'Mayor, Council, you guys are owning the search [with this item.]' That's fine, the way she portrayed it. But the bottom line is under her administrative authority she wasn't going to add an item looking for her successor. And to say we had to take it from one-time expenditures – there's enough in HR budget." As the City Manager's office is the one preparing the council agenda, it's interesting if she wouldn't put the item up of her own volition. Hell, we probably wouldn't either, but that's probably why we're not in public service.

See Beside the Point in tomorrow's Chronicle for more with Martinez regarding fallout from his Futrell flame-war. Things sound very tense at City Hall right now. "I don't know but I can tell you the sentiment is growing among staff; council members are talking about it," says Martinez. "If things continue to go in the manner they have, they'll have to be some changes."

 

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COMMENTS
2
 
PROTECTIVE SHIELD OF B.S. PROTECTS CITY HALL FROM EXPLOSION A CONCERNED CITIZEN Sep 17, 2007 - 05:39 pm
No, City Hall is not about to explode. There are too many layers of B.S. protecting the citizens of Austin from that ever happening. Mike Martinez, who is doing an incredible job of trying to fill the huge leadership vacuum created by years of Council complacency seems to be fighting a one man fight. He is doing the right thing. The Council has been alarmingly passive through all of Toby Futrell's ever increasing ethical and managerial failures.

Meanwhile Toby has a bumper sticker on her Cadillac that says, "GO AHEAD AND FIRE ME! I NEED THE EXTRA MONEY." This sad little puppet show continues. It will be interesting to see how Toby will reward her syncophants, myrmidons, and supplicants before she decides to sail off into the sunset or accept the job as Managing Director at LCRA.


City Hall About to Explode? Saddened public servant Jan 11, 2008 - 09:36 am
Mike Martinez is a blow-hard. He says, "Hell, we probably wouldn't either, but that's probably why we're not in public service." What? I wish HE would just go away and Toby would stay.



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