The Longboat Key Town Commission removed Police Chief Al Hogle from the Acting Town Manager role after accusing him of improperly handling an employee grievance filed against Planning and Zoning Director Monica Simpson.

Longboat Key Commissioners decided by a vote of 6-1 to name Deputy Sarasota County Administrator Dave Bullock the next town manager. After a week of debate over how fast the town should proceed and whether Bullock would in fact be an interim manager rather than a permanent manager, Bullock was the clear choice

Against my better judgment I was convinced to attend yet another special meeting of the Longboat Key Town Commission. I thought that this annual event for the approval on second reading would be a routine approval of millage rates and budget for the coming year

Too fast, too slow, just right. It is a Goldilocks dilemma of timing for the Longboat Key Town Commission when it comes to selecting a new town manager. And as in all uncertainties — it causes fear, vacillation, criticism, self-doubt and worry about doing what is right

‘This commission is looking for someone who has the experience to bring and embrace new ideas and direction to the various town issues, while having the managerial skills to carry out the policy.’

On the evening of Sept. 12, I ventured out to LBK Town Hall for the meeting of the Town Commission. This should have been the first meeting of the new season in accordance with the charter and tradition around here. The commission actually met in August, and its several committees and subcommittees have been convening all summer. That’s the new reality

With the town’s budget balancing act looming, commissioners and residents have called the town attorney’s fees into question. At the July budget workshop, the commission agreed to cut $37,500 in outside attorney fees (not the town attorney costs) from the 2011-2012 budget

Town Attorney David Persson provided a list July 15 to town commissioners of the current lawsuits or pending lawsuits for the town of Longboat Key. In recent weeks, various commissioners and residents have questioned the cost of paying town attorney fees and have considered if this cost could be made leaner within the town’s budget.

After more than a generation of watching the operation, I have come to the conclusion that running Longboat Key, at least from the point of sitting on the dais as a town commissioner, is a very easy job

In a blend of politics and fiscal pragmatism, Longboat commissioners accomplished two budget issues this week: setting a maximum tax rate and identifying more than one quarter million dollars in budget cuts to hold the tax rate in line with last year