Living in a Disaster Movie

The Tortuga: Personal Thoughts

By Carlos Miro

I’ve realized that I’ve been using the word “disaster” all my life inappropriately. For example, in college, I would say after receiving a low grade on an essay: “This is a disaster!”

No, sorry, that was not a disaster. I now know what a disaster really is.

A disaster is when a neighbor in my community was found dead because she drowned in her own home. A disaster is the people living in St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, or Madeira Beach having three feet or more of a toxic combination of seawater and sewage in our homes. A disaster is losing anywhere from 75% to 100% of one’s possessions to the flood — and then having to carry the heavy, water-laden garbage out to the curb. A disaster is having the toxic mess sitting out on our curbs for weeks.

A disaster is waiting six weeks (or more!) for city staff to begin issuing repair permits. A disaster is worrying about whether you can afford to repair your house, whether you can do it and stay under FEMA’s 50% rule, and whether you’ll be forced to sell your home at bargain-basement prices.

Do I sound angry and bitter? Perhaps a bit. But I’m also grateful that my wife and I survived and that the structure of our home is not damaged. Many of our neighbors on the barrier islands have not been so fortunate. Some have already decided to move out of our communities. That is a great loss to all of us — to the bonds we’ve created and the friends we have made.

What about you? Do you have a story to tell? Something you want to share? Send your comments to me. They can be just bullet points if you don’t feel comfortable writing. If you want me to call you so you can tell me in person, that’s okay too. I’m here for you.

City Beach: Permits to Repair and Recover

Some of you already have permits issued by your city government so that you can begin repairing the damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Unfortunately, many of you are still waiting for your local government to start issuing permits — a delay hurting people whose homes are unlivable, or are livable but gutted — with no kitchens or drywall.

As I sit in City Commission meetings and hear the complaints from residents, thoughts come to my mind on how we can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our city governments. Most of us operate under a “strong manager” form of government.

While the City Manager form of local government aims to increase efficiency and professionalism in government, it can also lead to a diminished voice for the citizens in the decision-making process. In this essay, I’ll explain some of the advantages and disadvantages, and offer a couple recommendations on how we can improve the effectiveness of our local governments.

An advantage of the strong manager system is that it puts a trained professional in charge of city operations. City managers usually have degrees in public administration and years of experience. This can lead to more efficient government and long-term planning. It can also help keep politics out of day-to-day city management.

But what are some of the disadvantages?

• Limited Accountability to Residents: A key disadvantage of the strong city manager model is that residents have no direct control over the city manager’s actions, creating a gap between community priorities and city management decisions. Without a direct line of accountability to the electorate, the city manager may overlook or deprioritize community needs, weakening democratic influence over local government and limiting the power of citizens to ensure their voices are reflected in city operations.

• Risk of Misaligned Priorities and Inefficiencies: When elected officials do not provide adequate oversight, the city manager’s actions may drift away from community priorities and become unresponsive to residents' needs. This lack of accountability can result in inefficient management, wasteful spending, and missed opportunities for improvement, ultimately weakening public trust and the quality of local governance.

We, the residents and voters of our cities, have to rely on our elected city commissioners to provide oversight of the city manager, and ensure that his or her actions and decisions directly help the residents.

Recommendations to Our City Commissioners:

Dear City Commissioner: To serve effectively as our elected representatives, providing diligent oversight and ensuring that our City Manager remains responsive to community needs is essential. Here are two key recommendations to support this goal:

• Set Measurable Performance Objectives Aligned with Community Priorities: City Commissioners should establish clear, measurable objectives that reflect the priorities of the community and incorporate these goals into the city manager’s evaluation process. Regular progress reviews and annual assessments based on these metrics will allow the elected members of the city commission to track alignment with community needs, making it easier to hold the city manager accountable if performance falls short.

• Encourage Transparent Communication and Community Engagement: To maintain accountability, city commissioners can require regular public reports and updates from the city manager, detailing progress on key projects and community initiatives. Hosting public, open forums or Q&A sessions with the city manager allows residents to voice concerns and ask questions, ensuring the city manager remains responsive to community interests and providing council members with firsthand feedback for future performance evaluations.

These steps not only strengthen oversight but also foster a culture of transparency, aligning the city manager’s role (and the city staff) with the broader needs of the community.

Prayer

“God is our refuge and our strength. An ever present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)