Attending and chairing most meetings aside, a piqued and vengeful Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is no longer fulfilling basic public and administrative council responsibilities that his four colleagues are fulfilling, in some cases causing his colleagues to carry the weight of the responsibilities he’s shrugging off.
He has abandoned all but one of his committee responsibilities, he refuses to meet with the acting city manager to prepare for meetings, his petulance or absence has required Theresa Pontieri, as vice mayor, to step in and lead high-profile public functions, including the State of the City event, the Memorial Day commemoration and several city meetings, and he is declining to hold the kind of town hall meetings his colleagues will be hosting over the next few months.
Other than name-dropping Sheriff Rick Staly’s name from time to time–an attempt to boost his credibility by appealing unbidden to the popular sheriff’s coattails–Norris neither refers to nor appears to be fostering or maintaining professional connections with officials in other governments, other than attendance at one or two of the quarterly meetings of mayors.
Norris has not declined to take his salary of $33,758 a year, plus a $1,200 car allowance. He still chairs most meetings, projecting authority and feeding off validation from a diminished if raucously and at times rudely loyal core of supporters.
On Monday the city announced the council’s “Let’s Talk Palm Coast” series of town halls, starting with Pontieri’s at the Community Center on June 25, and continuing monthly for the following three months, with each of the other council embers–bot not Norris. “We were told that he declined to participate,” a city spokesperson said. Norris did not return an email asking about his participation.
When he was sworn in on Nov. 19, he participated in the customary assumption of committee assignments on about a dozen boards where the city is represented. The assignments are among the council members’ important responsibilities, requiring a time commitment and resporting responsibilities, as members share with their colleagues relevant issues from each board.
Norris agreed to be the liaison on the countywide Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, on the Flagler County Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board, on the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization, and, along with Ty Miller, on the joint cities and county workshop that meets periodically during the year.
“When we had this discussion with Ms Johnston,” Norris had said in November, back when he had discussions with Lauren Johnston, the acting city manager he sought to summarily fire a few months ago, “I specifically said I would like everyone to volunteer for the positions that they would like. I think I asked that there be a few reserved for me, specifically that I like to be on one. The primary one was the TPO,” the Transportation Planning Organization, which meets in Daytona Beach once a month and blueprints transportation projects in Flagler County and other counties under its umbrella.
He was also eager to serve on the Affordable Housing Committee. “I’ve been to one of those meetings, and I found some valuable information,” Norris had said. “I’ll gladly put my name on that one.”
He was well aware of the responsibilities. “Some of these you have to stay on top of them,” he said. “like I know for a fact the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. If you miss two meetings or so, you’re off the board.”
The council censured Norris and declared it had no confidence in him after an investigation confirmed that he had attempted to fire top staff without the council’s knowledge, breaching charter prohibitions on council members’ interference with administrative duties. By then the council had appointed Dave Sullivan to replace Ray Stevens, who resigned a few weeks into his tenure for health reasons. The council had to reshuffle committee assignments on May 6.
“I can make some of it quite easy for everyone,” Norris vengefully said at that meeting. “Since this change, this council has censured me and voted no confidence, I would like all of you to fill those positions, other than the joint city-county commission. Since you don’t have the confidence in me, you can fill all those positions. So that’s up to you to pick whichever ones you want. But I do want to stay on this, the joint city and county workshop, so pick and choose as you please.”
Norris didn’t explain how, lacking the council’s confidence, he could justify disregarding most responsibilities while holding on to the joint city-county assignment, or why, for that matter, if he did not have the council’s confidence, he was remaining in his seat: once in the seat, the electorate generally expects an elected official to fulfill the office’s responsibilities in whole rather than pick and choose at the expense of colleagues.
As a result of Norris’s “abdication” of responsibilities, as one of his colleagues described it, his fellow-council members have had to pick up his slack, with Pontieri serving on four boards, two council members serving on three each, and one serving on two.
Johnston methodically meets with each of the council members ahead of meetings and workshops to brief them on the agenda and prepare them on any issue about which they may have questions. Such one-on-one briefings are routine in local governments, if not essential for elected officials who are typically faced with meeting materials of several hundred pages at a time, assuming they read them. Norris has stopped holding those briefings, and scarcely has more than erratic contact with administrative staff, generally when he needs something.
None of the council members have made an issue with the mayor’s desertions, with one exception: last month Council member Charles Gambaro–who originated the call to have Norris investigated, and against whom Norris filed a lawsuit to boot him off the council (it’s pending)–read a statement that had also ran in the local press.
After the investigation brought to light instances of Norris demeaning staff and interfering with the administration, Gambarro said, “Mayor Norris has responded by systematically abandoning key mayoral responsibilities that our citizens expect and deserve. He has publicly refused to fulfill Council liaison appointment duties that are essential for coordination between the council and various city departments and community organizations. Even more troubling, he has physically removed his belongings from the shared council office, symbolically and literally, withdrawing from collaborative governance. These actions represent a troubling and unprecedented, unprecedented abdication of fundamental duties he swore to uphold when taking office.”
Norris is expected to chair Tuesday evening’s workshop.
Deborah Coffey says
Recall him?
Fernando Melendez says
I predicted that he’ll either be removed by the governor or resign and I wouldn’t rule out being arrested for threatening or assaulting someone. This guy is a walking time bomb with a short fuse. I predicted and still think by July or August he’ll be out.
Jamescannon says
Geez is this guy protected for something. He’s lied about his military statur and number of kills. You know why? Former military member don’t brag or tell the public how many kills he has had. I have a friend who didn’t directly serve with him but like everything when you have a boss that’s a complete asshole that word travels. Mike as I refuse to call you a mayor let’s meet at the parking lot of city hall tomorrow for a recorded interview at 8:00am. Does that work for you? I’d love to talk to you with one of my service brothers and see just how full of shit you actually are.
The dude says
MAGA life baby!!!
Here for the pay, but not gonna make hay!!!
You folks picked a good one. And I thought Danko was an ass…
Larry says
Mayor Norris is inept and unable to lead the city. This has been discovered by everyone that deals with him – whether internal or external. Norris only knows how to cause chaos and problems and when it comes to governing or leadership, he doesn’t know how to do his job.
Seems he has been exposed for being unable to do his job – so he simply doesn’t show up. He’s hiding (for good reason, as he’s inept).
Better off that he’s not there because all he does is cause trouble anyway.
He’s glad to collect the paycheck, courtesy of the taxpayers. It might not be much, but he won’t let go of the grasp of the $1200/mo car allowance plus the annual salary. For the 2 hours/week he puts in, it’s a pretty sweet hourly salary.
He should be fired by DeSantis. He’s sucking money out of the city to put into his wallet, via salary, car allowance and the nonsense lawsuit. Nothing but a money drain to the residents of Palm Coast. He’s got his hand in everyone’s pockets.
Sad thing is, all this info was clear when he was running for office and people were foolish that voted for him even when he caused problems and chaos during the primary, for all voters to see. But voters chose him anyway and now he’s picking their pockets. I guess a few die hard (not many though) still support him, with fewer supporters each week. Even Danko realizes that Norris is terrible.
Jack says
He has no respect for the people he serves! Time for him to step down or be removed!
PeachesMcGee says
STOP BUFFOONERY!
Marty Barrett says
Hopefully the fever is close to breaking for this whole aggrieved,angry, older white man act that’s having its moment in this country.
BJHH says
Personally I think the mayor is brilliant. He pulls full pay for 10 per cent work and gets away with it. Where do I apply ?
justbob says
In a way, Norris is like Trump. Both are kept afloat by hysteria. For Donald, it’s immigrants ruining the country. For Norris, it’s developers ruining Palm Coast. That populist drum beat, combined with uneducated low information supporters who haven’t met a conspiracy theory they don’t like, got them both elected. Toss in a nasty disposition, petulant childishness, stupid name calling, political retribution, divisive behavior, and a paranoid mindset and the similarities become more apparent.
Critical Eye says
Palm Coast residents need to have our own “NO KINGS DAY” ! No Norris KINGsDAY! His supporters are too stupid to see that the one they bow down to and worship is robbing them blind, stabbing them in the back and laughing at them all the way to the bank. They’re the ones that show up and speak at every meeting. They’re the sad, poor looking folksy ones that dress like the homeless and have the mentality of peasants. They love their do nothing King. The only time they get off their fat asses is to attend the weekly council meetings where they support and pay homage to their do nothing King!
Boot Kick this Do nothing, liar, coward out of Palm Coast entirely. He has done nothing except put shame, and has dishonored and made a mockery of our military men and women.
Jim says
Well, it’s clear to me that we don’t have a mayor. We just have a man/child who is mad because he can’t have his way. This is his way of taking his ball and going home. I would hate to have had this guy as my commanding officer in the military. I remember fragging in Vietnam….
Sadly, I don’t think he’ll leave any time soon. He hasn’t shown the maturity or self-awareness for that. We’re likely stuck with him unless the Republican governor removes the Republican mayor. I won’t hold my breath…
Kudos to the rest of the council for stepping up and demonstrating what leadership really is.
CD says
Not taking Flager Live phone calls any more?
Sadly, and I love doing things for the City and especially one on one with the city council and the actings city manager. And I definitely will continue to do so, because it’s about the city, not just one person. But a vote of no confidence does have repercussions. And if the council votes no confidence, then the responsible thing for the mayor to do is allow the members of the city council to handle those responsibilities until this situation is resolved.
This is but one person’s opinion, but I’m someonewho’s been through this type of political situation several times in my life. Actions definitely have consequences.
Steve says
Why do the Citizens of FPC put up with this. Get rid of him and start over. It’s one loser after another. I’m beginning to believe it’s you the Constituents
Just my thought says
Will the taxpayers in Flagler County and the City of PC ever get competent government officials?
Ed Danko, former Vice-Mayor, PC says
For the record, as a Republican and Trump supporter, I was adamantly opposed to Norris’s election from the beginning. It was clear from the start that he had anger management issues, as he demonstrated in this video where he cussed out Mrs. Alan Lowe: https://youtube.com/shorts/UaaB0lZj4Dk?si=TFzLqoIVjO9eJWJj
PC Tony says
He has always been this way. If he doesn’t get his way he makes threats and tries to tell you that you need to respect him for his service. When I first met him he claimed to have received the Silver Star, now it’s the Bronze Star which are evidenty handed out like candy. I’m just saying even De Satin got one and he didn’t even go into combat.
Charlie says
Why does the other city counsel member’s put up with it? I would suggest at the next public workshop, after the pledge of allegiance, the vice mayor and all the counsel members get up together and walk out!! SEND THE MESSAGE!!
Jack Howell says
The so called mayor is nothing more than a pompous asshole who should be removed from office! If he does not want to tend to all the myriad of responsibilities he was elected to carry out cut his pay accordingly.