The interim public safety director (PSD) was hired by the city manager at a point when there were no chiefs heading the police, fire, and beach patrol departments. She needed someone she could rely on to oversee these departments until she could appoint chiefs.
She is looking for chiefs who will support her in her efforts to reduce the city budget, wanting someone the City can work with, who shares our vision, and does not have a sense of entitlement.
It seems to be a well-known fact that the ‘leadership’ in Brigantine’s police and fire departments have no respect for the city manager or for her obligation to find savings in the budget. What in private industry would be called insubordination is somehow business as usual by some employees.
The city manager has earned great respect from most of Brigantine for what she’s done for the city: bringing in new events to draw visitors, implementing cost savings where she’s had cooperation to do so, being available (rather than intimidating) to taxpayers and citizens, and heading the city during one of its worst natural disasters.
The mayor is upset because she didn’t tell him she was hiring an interim PSD. She’s the city manager. We pay her to make those decisions. It appears that the police and fire captains just want to keep earning their $100,000-plus salaries and hold the city hostage. Their sense of entitlement to our money is beyond reasonable.
Toni Carson
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