The reelected Tallahassee City Commissioners were sworn in Monday and the 3-2 split between the progressive and majority voting blocs of the board is already having an impact. The majority at city hall again voted to pass over Commissioner Jack Porter for Mayor Pro Tempore
Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox, Curtis Richardson, and Mayor John Daily make up the majority block. The three board members are often at odds with two progressive members of the board—Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow. This is the second time the majority bloc has skipped Porter in Mayor Pro Tempore nominations, a largely honorary role that traditionally rotates among commissioners based on seniority. Instead, they tapped Williams-Cox for the role.
Porter said it’s disrespectful to her and the 53% of Tallahassee voters that supported her during August Primary election.
“I think in the spirit of collegiality that we just all spoke about, I would love the opportunity to serve every other member of the commission has had the opportunity to serve as Mayor Pro Tem I've now been reelected. When you silence me, you silence the people who supported me, and I hope that my colleagues take that seriously,” she said.
Porter backed a challenger against Richardson during this year’s election. Mayor Dailey said he supported Williams-Cox because she has a working relationship with City Manager Reese Goad. Porter has given Goad a failing grade on annual reviews and has publicly backed his removal.
“It's important to me to make sure for the continuity of the institution and for the community, that in my absence, that the Mayor Pro Tem, especially during a declared state of emergency or a natural disaster, that there is a strong working relationship between the Mayor Pro Tem and the four appointed, specifically, the city manager,” he said.
Reelected commissioners Porter and Richardson were the ones sworn in that night.
During his remarks after he was sworn in, Richardson thanked those that supported him and said he hopes the commission can work together to deal with the problems the city's residents face.
"I'm sure as we go over these next four years, there will be other issues that our citizens will bring to us that we need to address, and I hope that we're able to do that in a collegial manner," he said.
During their last term the commissioners often voted on a 3-2 split. This vote appears to be an early indicator that power dynamic is likely to continue into the next two years.