NORTH PORT CITY MANAGER STEVE CROWELL IS A FINALIST FOR THE SAME JOB IN IOWA CITY, IOWA, AND THAT IS APPARENTLY NOT SITTING WELL WITH NORTH PORT CITY COMMISSIONERS. AT THEIR MEETING LAST NIGHT, COMMISSIONERS UNANIMOUSLY CALLED FOR A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS CROWELL’S FUTURE, ALTHOUGH NO DATE OR TIME WAS SET. ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED REPORTS COMMISSIONER JIM BLUCHER PRESENTED THE MOTION BECAUSE A LOT OF QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, AND COMMISSION CHAIR DAVID GAROFALO SAID HE IS PREPARED TO REPLACE CROWELL, WHO HAS BEEN THE CITY MANAGER SINCE 2005. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT CROWELL HAS BEEN A FINALIST FOR A CITY MANAGER’S JOB AS HE WAS AMONG FIVE FINALISTS FOR THE JOB IN CORAL GABLES IN FEBRUARY OF 2009. CROWELL IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE A $10,000 DOLLAR PAY CUT AS THE RESULT OF BUDGET REDUCTIONS, BUT HIS SALARY STILL WOULD REMAIN ABOVE $150,000 DOLLARS A YEAR.
