Latest / Inside West Palm Beach / How To Run A City: A talk with City Administrator Faye Johnson

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How To Run A City: A talk with City Administrator Faye Johnson · Inside West Palm Beach

11:00:56
Welcome to the City Center
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Podcast. I'm Jerry Marcello.
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When it comes to the ultimate decision
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maker here in West Palm Beach, it is well
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known the mayor makes the call on
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decisions for the city.
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But he is not alone when it comes to
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managing all the moving parts
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that make up city government.
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Today we'll be talking to the woman whose
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leadership keeps the wheels
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moving in West Palm Beach.
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That's next on the City Center Podcast.
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[Music]
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Joining us today is Faye Johnson, City
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Administrator for the
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City of West Palm Beach.
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Faye, welcome. Thank you
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for coming on the show today.
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Thank you for having me.
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We're excited to talk about all the
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things that are involved
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with being a city administrator.
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But we always want to
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start by talking about you.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself and
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your voice to becoming
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a city administrator.
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Okay, well, you know,
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there's quite a bit to unpack.
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So let me just kind
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of maybe summarize it.
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You know, I am a West Palm Beach
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generational resident, was born and
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raised here and was raised
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in a single family household.
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I grew up with nine sisters
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and brothers in public housing.
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I went through the public school system
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here in Palm Beach County
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for most of my education.
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I left here in maybe the 11th grade and
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moved out of state to
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finish up high school.
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I was a cheerleader all through high
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school for the most part.
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I started cheering in fourth grade,
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believe it or not, at Gaines Park.
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At that time, the city operated a number
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of different programs and
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they had cheerleader squads.
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And so that's where I got my introduction
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and fell in love with cheer.
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So I was a cheerleader for a good six or
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seven years of my years of growing up.
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And, you know, how I got into city
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management actually came through an
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interest that I developed in city
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government in a seventh grade American
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history class, believe it or not.
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So at that time, I was attending
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Roosevelt Junior High and we had a
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teacher who was very well known for
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history, Mr. Harvey.
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And each week we would have to cut out
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newspaper articles, current events, and
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he would select different suitors to read
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theirs in the classroom.
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And invariably, for one reason or
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another, my article
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tended to be on government.
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And at the end of the school year, he had
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a mock city commission meeting teaching
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us about local government.
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And I was assigned the
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role of a city commissioner.
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One of my other students in the class was
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to sign the role of a city manager.
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And as we start rehearsing and all, you
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know, I wanted to be the city manager.
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I wanted to play that role.
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So he allowed the two of us to negotiate
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and I end up getting to
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play the city manager.
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And that was the start of the peak of my
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interest in city management.
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And it stayed with me.
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And ultimately, the only reason that I
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went to college and grad school, you
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know, was because I
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wanted to be a city manager.
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And here I am.
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Isn't that wonderful?
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The opportunities you see in elementary
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and in high school where you get an
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intense to taste possible career and you
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suddenly find the
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passion that ignites you to
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to move forward.
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That's really fantastic.
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And on top of that
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cheerleading, you can't beat that.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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And I like to think that, you know, being
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a cheerleader all those years and, you
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know, being a champion for, you know, the
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team and a number of
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those teams were underdogs.
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You know, that kind of helped shape my
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thinking of, you know, being a champion
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for employees in the workforce and what I
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am fortunate to be doing now.
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All that.
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That's really cool.
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And then the most important thing for me
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is in a place where many people are are
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moving to and are transplants, having
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someone who has been in the been here
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your entire life gives you a perspective
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which I think is
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incredibly useful to you.
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It has.
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Now, I actually I moved away my 11th
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grade year of high school.
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So I have moved lived in other places and
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then came back home, spent 12 years here
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at the city with what I call my first
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tour of duty to really start my career
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and build my career and then left and
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moved around and am back.
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So I certainly consider this as a full
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circle opportunity, you know, but on the
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personal side, you know, I have two great
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sons, both of whom are in different
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aspects of public service.
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And that's kind of ironic and is a family
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joke that we tease and laugh about
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because growing up, each of my sons spent
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quite a bit of time with me either, you
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know, on the job or attending meetings
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and always, you know, said, oh, I would
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not go into government, you know, and now
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all three of us, you know,
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are government professionals.
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That's fantastic. Now, along your pathway, you clearly had
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to break through barriers to become the
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person that you are and to fill the role
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that you're filling for the city. Tell us
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a little bit about that.
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How was that voyage for you?
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You know, when I think breaking through
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barriers, you know, as you know, I've had
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an opportunity to kind of reflect back,
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you know, on my life's journey.
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That was something that started pretty
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early on, you know, as a cheerleader.
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You know, when I think about the fact
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that once the public school systems
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system was segregated here, you know, I
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ended up going to Twin Lakes.
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And at that time, there were not many
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black cheerleaders on the cheering squad,
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you know, so that was breaking barriers.
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And then certainly at the time that I
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became a cheerleader at Twin Lakes, there
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was still quite a bit of racial tension.
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And my very first and best friend on the
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cheer squad was one of the white
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cheerleaders. And she and I hung out. I
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remember vividly the first time that I
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spent the night with her and the folks
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peering out their windows as she and I
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walked to the corner store.
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Now, I didn't have a clear understanding
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of why that was. But looking back on it,
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that was breaking a barrier, you know, to
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even go into a neighborhood where
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heretofore, blacks, you know, had not
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lived in that neighborhood, had not
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frequent visited that neighborhood.
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So that was breaking a barrier. But now
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when I look at my professional career,
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city management has always been a white
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male dominated field. And that is still
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pretty much the case today.
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When you look at black females in the
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field, that percentage is very, very low.
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So the notion of going into that field,
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certainly just from a thought process,
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you know, that is breaking new ground and
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then to have actually accomplish it, you
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know, is at another level
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of breaking the barrier.
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So when I look at that, in actuality, I
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became the first female county
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administrator for St. Lucie County and
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the first black county administrator for
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St. Lucie County. So that was definitely
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breaking the barriers.
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And when you look at St. Lucie County 10
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years ago, when I was there and over 10
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years ago, it was still very much so a
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rural county and did not have a history
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of having blacks in high level positions,
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let alone county administrators.
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So that was breaking a barrier. And now
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in this capacity as the city
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administrator for our city, you know, I
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again am the first female and the first
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black to be the city administrator. So
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again, breaking barriers there.
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Just thinking about it retrospectively, I
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don't think that one is tougher than the
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other. However, what I have learned,
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particularly from that St. Lucie County
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experience when I first became county
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administrator and
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certainly, you know, that was just
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highlighted, you know, the fact that
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you're in a rural county, never had a
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female administrator, never had a black
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administrator or, you know, I was the
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first black assistant county
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administrator. And so initially, you
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know, you feel the
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weight, you know, of that
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situation here. And I think for a short
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period of time, you know, certainly you
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get in your own head, you know, about all
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of the eyes that are on you, you know, as
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the first female and the first black. But
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what I learned is that at the end of the
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day, while you make history being the
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first female and the first black, what
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the residents and your commissioners care
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about is how you perform. And I think
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that is still the case today. Now, while
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that accomplishments both back at St.
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Lucie County, and certainly the
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accomplishment here today, being at home
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is something that, you know, I work very
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hard to achieve and something I am
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incredibly proud about.
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But, you know, people don't really pay
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attention to the fact that the city has a
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female administrator or a black female
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administrator. I think what they care
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about when they talk about Miss Johnson,
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if you will, or administrator Johnson, if
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you will, is that I perform, I produce,
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you know, I'm on top of the job where the
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rubber meets the road.
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I think that's what is impactual. Now,
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the fact that I have built that kind of
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reputation and then happened to be black
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and happened to be a female. I mean,
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that's, you know, something that I just
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am deeply proud about.
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Very good. Let's talk a little bit about
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the job. The City of West Palm Beach
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works under the option of strong mayor as
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a form of government. Tell us for our
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audience, explain a little bit about what
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that entails, what that means, and how does the city address that?
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And how does the city administrator
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position take part in that?
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As the strong mayor form of government,
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the mayor serves as the chief executive
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officer, you know, and the administrative
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leader of the city. I mean, he is the
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executive decision maker of the city.
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And as the city administrator, you know,
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I see myself as the chief operating
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officer, you know, I serve at the
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pleasure of the mayor. I add his
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designation. I oversee the day to day
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operations of the city.
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Interact with the commissioners as the
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liaison between the commissioners and the
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mayor handle the oversight facilitation
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of the development of the budget and all
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of the day to day things that comes with
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actually running the organization.
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So you have for the most part, if you
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look at how the city's governmental
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structure was prior to changing its form
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of government in 1992, which I happen to
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have been here at that time, we were
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under a council
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manager form of government.
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And so the city manager was really
11:14:53
considered the chief executive officer
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because we didn't have a strong mayor. We
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had a figurehead mayor, if you will. So
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under that form of government, the
11:15:04
ceremonial mayor did not have the
11:15:08
executive and administrative powers that
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the strong mayor has.
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And the charter lays those powers out.
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And the mayor makes a number of the
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executive decisions and
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really directs the operation.
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OK, so you are basically managing the
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machine, keeping the mechanics and the
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gears turning for the city.
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Yes. OK. And to what road, what level do
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you advise the mayor as far as policy and
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things that the city
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has to set forward with?
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I would say that there is very little
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that the mayor does not involve me in,
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which I really enjoy the fact that he
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respects my professional training and
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looks at me as one of his, and maybe
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perhaps in a number of instances,
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you know, as his top adviser on things
11:16:13
across the board. Now, as the city
11:16:16
administrator, a lot of
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what I do is behind the scenes.
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You know, I think that probably the most
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high profile of what I do is the budget.
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But there are very few things that come
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across the mayor's desk that at some
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point we don't have a discussion about or
11:16:43
that he doesn't bounce off of me.
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He and I sort of work hand in hand and a
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lot, if not everything that the mayor
11:16:55
does from an executive
11:16:56
standpoint has an operational impact.
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And so, you know, we work very closely
11:17:03
together. Now, being that he is the
11:17:06
mayor, I am the administrator. You know,
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there is, you know, a separation of how
11:17:14
much, you know, I actually direct and
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guide on the executive side.
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But as the administrator, you know, I sit
11:17:23
in a covenant position to be able to be
11:17:27
at the table with the mayor on most of
11:17:31
the executive matters that he actually
11:17:35
makes the final decision on.
11:17:38
So you are a strong resource for the
11:17:39
mayor and pretty much every and every
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move. Yes. Outstanding. Yes. You
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mentioned the you mentioned the budget.
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The budget is a huge
11:17:47
part of your your job.
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And what you do. Tell us a little bit
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about the process of how the budget comes
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to form together and how it becomes what
11:17:56
we're working with every year.
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So the budget actually is a seven month
11:18:03
loan and your process, you know, it's
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it's one a process we go
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through every single year.
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And it is the only process that every
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department within the city has to be
11:18:22
involved in because while the general
11:18:25
fund budget tends to be the one that is
11:18:29
the most highlighted and the most
11:18:30
familiar to residents just because of the nature of the general fund.
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It being the largest budget and the
11:18:37
different operations that are funded by
11:18:40
it. Every thing that we do is part of the
11:18:44
budget. So it's an all hands on deck
11:18:48
operation for seven months.
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So we started typically in February in
11:18:55
that budget calendar is really developed
11:18:59
in concert with finance. So we started in
11:19:02
February and didn't have a budget calendar.
11:19:02
So we started in February and then there
11:19:03
are different major steps along the way
11:19:07
from February through September to get
11:19:09
the budget adopted. So right now where we
11:19:11
are in August, we have presented the
11:19:15
proposed balance budget for FY26 to the
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board and work through any follow up
11:19:22
discussion with the board.
11:19:24
We are now teeing up when I say we mean
11:19:27
finance in terms of loading up the budget
11:19:30
and getting ready for the first budget
11:19:32
adoption hearing in September and then
11:19:35
the second budget adoption
11:19:36
here and come October one.
11:19:39
The FY26 budget goes into effect and then
11:19:42
come January, February of 2026, we
11:19:45
started all over again. And I do want to
11:19:48
highlight one point in doing the seven
11:19:51
month process where the
11:19:53
budget takes priority.
11:19:55
We still have all of the other work, the
11:19:57
regular part of our jobs that we're
11:20:00
doing. So the budget doesn't give you an
11:20:03
opportunity where everything else stops
11:20:05
and you're just working solely on the
11:20:07
budget. The budget is the priority of the
11:20:10
seven months. However, everything else
11:20:13
has to also get done.
11:20:14
And so that's what makes
11:20:17
it so very challenging.
11:20:19
Challenging complex. Wow. Incredible.
11:20:22
But it is absolutely my
11:20:24
favorite seven months of the year.
11:20:27
Bless you.
11:20:29
Yes. Seven months that when we get to
11:20:33
September where we adopt the budget, I go
11:20:36
through this kind of low and then I'm
11:20:38
like the little kid at Christmas looking
11:20:40
for February to come again because the
11:20:42
budget is going to start up again.
11:20:43
So that's great. Is there anything that
11:20:47
we can share with the audience? Things to
11:20:50
expect as far as will the was there
11:20:52
anything in the budget for this year that
11:20:53
the residents will see
11:20:55
and feel immediately?
11:20:57
Well, the big beauty of this budget, from
11:21:02
my perspective, is that the residents
11:21:05
won't see the adverse impact that could
11:21:10
have been, but for some changes we made.
11:21:13
Specifically, when I look at the CRA and
11:21:20
the changes that are being made at the
11:21:22
state level in terms of tightening the
11:21:25
screws, if you will, on how
11:21:27
CRA dollars could be utilized.
11:21:30
The CRA has funded for the last five, six
11:21:38
years of my tenure has funded the
11:21:42
majority of the programs
11:21:44
and events on the waterfront.
11:21:46
They have funded the marquee events that
11:21:49
we hold in the Northwest
11:21:51
community as well as Northwood.
11:21:54
So because of what is happening at the
11:21:58
state level, the CRA pulled the funding
11:22:02
for those events out of their budget.
11:22:05
So had the general fund not stepped in to
11:22:07
pick up the funding for those events,
11:22:10
what the community would have felt was
11:22:13
that negative impact of not having the
11:22:16
events at the waterfront, not having
11:22:19
brews and barbecue in the Northwest,
11:22:23
Christmas and paradise, not having nights
11:22:27
in Northwood, the quarterly events there.
11:22:31
So that would have been a big negative
11:22:33
impact because those events, whether it's
11:22:38
waterfront, Northwest and Northwood,
11:22:40
those events contribute highly to the
11:22:44
quality of life for our residents.
11:22:45
If residents and visitors come to our
11:22:49
city because of the quality of life that
11:22:52
we provide, I mean, they
11:22:53
love forefront flagler.
11:22:56
You know, they love coming to
11:22:57
the events in the Northwest.
11:23:00
The merchants in Northwood love having
11:23:02
those quarterly
11:23:03
nights in Northwood events.
11:23:06
So had it not been for the general fund
11:23:11
being in a position to pick up that
11:23:12
funding to keep those events going, then
11:23:15
we will be having a
11:23:16
different kinds of conversation.
11:23:18
So I think what residents can expect is
11:23:21
that the level of the quality of life
11:23:24
programming and services that we have
11:23:27
offered will be maintained.
11:23:29
They won't see where things are coming to
11:23:32
an end, where they won't have all of the
11:23:35
activities that they have grown
11:23:37
accustomed to and look forward to that
11:23:40
they will still be able to enjoy those.
11:23:43
You mentioned the proverbial tightening
11:23:45
of screws both at the
11:23:46
federal and at the state level.
11:23:49
Looks like in the short term, there is a
11:23:51
solution or at least a way for us to
11:23:54
continue to enjoy the things that we've
11:23:56
come to expect here in
11:23:57
the city of West Palm Beach.
11:23:59
What is the future perspective? What
11:24:01
changes are we anticipating beyond that?
11:24:04
I tell you what we are trying to stay on
11:24:08
top of is that you have, let me just
11:24:11
start with the state level.
11:24:13
So part of what came out of the
11:24:16
legislature this year was the governor
11:24:21
established a property tax committee.
11:24:25
And they are taking a look at different
11:24:28
options for changing how
11:24:33
property taxes are collected.
11:24:35
And there's been noise about doing away
11:24:39
with property taxes altogether.
11:24:41
When we had the update from
11:24:44
Representative Edmond here a couple of
11:24:48
weeks ago and Senator Mike Bernard, they
11:24:52
each mentioned, they both mentioned about
11:24:56
this property tax committee in that they
11:25:00
expect that some
11:25:01
changes are going to be made.
11:25:02
Now it remains to be seen what changes
11:25:06
will be made and hopefully it won't be
11:25:09
draconian changes that will
11:25:11
then cripple municipalities.
11:25:14
But just on the point of the property
11:25:16
tax, the prospect of changes being made.
11:25:21
When I look at our general fund budget,
11:25:24
so the FY25 general fund
11:25:26
budget is about 264 million.
11:25:31
Of that 137 million property tax. So it's
11:25:36
about 52% of our general fund revenue.
11:25:40
If we were to lose any of that because of
11:25:46
changes that are mandated by the state,
11:25:48
it's going to have an impact.
11:25:52
And we have to wait to
11:25:53
see what happens there.
11:25:55
The other concern from the state level
11:25:57
would be 12% of our general fund revenues
11:26:01
come from state shared revenues on a
11:26:04
number of different items and some other
11:26:06
governmental revenue.
11:26:08
So if the state does not do anything to
11:26:14
adversely impact property tax revenue
11:26:16
legislatively, they may change how they
11:26:20
distribute state shared revenue.
11:26:22
So if they were to pull back on that,
11:26:25
that's a total of about 31
11:26:27
million in the general fund.
11:26:29
So if we were to lose any
11:26:31
of that, that's an impact.
11:26:34
When we look at our overall budget, it's
11:26:37
comprised the total budget about 25% of
11:26:42
recurring revenue
11:26:43
from federal government.
11:26:44
And then we have a portion from the
11:26:46
state. So any changes on that state
11:26:48
revenue, there's going to be an impact.
11:26:50
Now, at the federal level, a number of
11:26:54
things are being talked about in terms of
11:26:57
the president's skinny
11:26:59
budget and what have you.
11:27:01
And I certainly am not going to get into
11:27:03
the politics of presidential decisions,
11:27:07
but our total budget has about 157
11:27:12
reoccurring federal dollars.
11:27:15
And a big portion of that is on the
11:27:17
housing side. So theoretically, worst
11:27:20
case scenario, if that money is pulled
11:27:23
back, we know that it's going to impact
11:27:28
residents who rely on those services.
11:27:32
And if the city is not in a position to
11:27:37
backfill whatever funding we lose from
11:27:39
the federal level for
11:27:40
housing, it's going to be felt.
11:27:44
I mean, there is an affordable housing
11:27:46
challenge right now with the funding.
11:27:50
So if you take away the funding, then it
11:27:53
just increases that challenge to house
11:27:55
those who rely on housing assistance.
11:28:00
But in addition to that, one of the big
11:28:03
areas that I'm concerned about, as well
11:28:08
as the mayor, as we have tried to keep
11:28:12
track of what's happening and what's
11:28:13
being discussed at the federal level, is
11:28:16
the potential elimination of FEMA,
11:28:23
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
11:28:26
Because FEMA steps in in the case of
11:28:31
disasters and help
11:28:33
governmental entities be able to recover.
11:28:37
Now, we've been fortunate that we've not
11:28:39
had a direct hit, and certainly I hope
11:28:42
that that continues to be the case.
11:28:44
However, we've had some minor or, I would
11:28:51
say, modest damage that we have incurred
11:28:55
in different storms, and we've gotten
11:28:57
reimbursed from FEMA.
11:28:58
So if the funding for FEMA is eliminated
11:29:02
and that total responsibility is shifted
11:29:05
to municipalities, that's
11:29:07
going to be a huge impact.
11:29:08
And where that impact will be felt is
11:29:12
that we have an emergency reserve that we
11:29:16
have been very methodical about not
11:29:20
utilizing it because we've been able to
11:29:24
have that cost sharing
11:29:25
with the federal government.
11:29:28
But if we have to fund any potential
11:29:31
impact, 100%, it will eat
11:29:35
that reserves up so very quickly.
11:29:36
So there is certainly an impact. We have
11:29:40
had a great funding partnership with the
11:29:43
federal government and
11:29:44
the state government.
11:29:45
And I'm hoping that with whatever comes
11:29:48
out of the federal and the state
11:29:50
governments, that it's reasonable and
11:29:54
that it's done in steps and
11:29:57
not with just one fell swoop.
11:29:59
Not only the city, but I am concerned
11:30:03
about our city, where we're adversely
11:30:06
impacted to the point where it will have
11:30:10
such a negative impact on our
11:30:12
residents and how we operate.
11:30:15
You have been city administrator now for
11:30:18
six years, just about six years?
11:30:20
Well, I've been on board for six years.
11:30:22
It will be six years as the city
11:30:24
administrator in January of 2026.
11:30:26
Oh, okay.
11:30:27
Yes, almost six.
11:30:30
So you've seen a lot of water going to
11:30:31
the bridge here in West Palm Beach. A lot
11:30:33
of stuff's going down.
11:30:34
What would you say out of the things that
11:30:36
you've experienced in the past five and a
11:30:38
half, so years, was the most important,
11:30:43
the most formative for the city as far as
11:30:47
was it the pandemic?
11:30:48
Was it the explosion of business?
11:30:50
What would you say?
11:30:53
Yeah, there is a interconnection between
11:30:55
those two, and that certainly would be
11:30:58
where I would go with
11:31:02
the pandemic of COVID.
11:31:05
You know, it ended up having a silver
11:31:08
lining for us in a couple of major ways.
11:31:13
I think, first of all, the fact that
11:31:16
under the mayor's
11:31:18
leadership, we kept the city open.
11:31:20
You know, we were able to pivot and make
11:31:24
certain that building permits were still
11:31:28
being issued, building
11:31:29
inspections were still being done.
11:31:32
And although we had workers operating
11:31:36
from home, we kept the doors
11:31:38
of City Hall open for business.
11:31:41
That ended up benefiting us in that, you
11:31:46
know, as the country was shut down, if
11:31:49
you will, and folks were then working
11:31:52
remote and had the ability to then kind
11:31:58
of relocate and all.
11:32:00
I think it put us on the radar of a
11:32:05
number of major businesses that probably
11:32:08
otherwise would not, you know, have
11:32:11
viewed West Palm Beach as the
11:32:13
place, you know, to relocate.
11:32:16
So we have seen just, you know, an
11:32:20
increase, an influx of new business
11:32:24
headquarters relocating from the East
11:32:28
Coast to our city in this whole notion
11:32:33
about Wall Street South that was in play
11:32:38
way before I became a city administrator.
11:32:42
I think it began to really take shape and
11:32:46
is now solidified. And so we're wearing
11:32:49
that moniker as being Wall Street South.
11:32:53
And then we just are seeing the continual
11:32:59
investment of major
11:33:00
developers in our city.
11:33:03
And certainly there is a leader in that
11:33:07
regard of related Ross, and we see all
11:33:11
that they are doing.
11:33:13
But we are also the beneficiaries of new
11:33:16
major developers who have had West Palm
11:33:20
on their radar and they see what is
11:33:22
happening, the transformation.
11:33:24
So when you look at the Nora district,
11:33:27
when you look at what's beginning to
11:33:28
happen on the north end and whatnot, if
11:33:33
you look at development that's taken
11:33:35
place on the south end,
11:33:36
when you look at the park.
11:33:37
So we have all of these major
11:33:41
developments coming together
11:33:43
and it's not just one developer.
11:33:46
You know, we have diverse developers that
11:33:48
are coming in or that have invested in
11:33:51
our city and they're continuing to look
11:33:55
at our city and making substantial
11:33:59
investments in West Palm Beach.
11:34:01
So I think we have just become very, very
11:34:05
attractive in terms of doing business and
11:34:08
then places, a place where their workers
11:34:11
want to live, you know, and want to be in
11:34:19
terms of what things there are to do when
11:34:23
work is done, you know, and that goes
11:34:25
back to that quality of life.
11:34:27
Of course. Yes.
11:34:28
So we've talked a little bit about the
11:34:29
past where we've been over the past five
11:34:31
years or so. Let's talk a little bit
11:34:33
about the future. What are your
11:34:36
objectives? What would you like to
11:34:37
accomplish during the remainder of your
11:34:39
career in the city of West Palm Beach?
11:34:41
West Palm in terms of the community, you
11:34:49
know, it's going through this incredible
11:34:52
transformation and, you know, from one
11:34:57
perspective, you know, that
11:34:59
transformation, you know, is very, very
11:35:03
sexy, if you will, because you can see
11:35:06
the tall buildings that are going up,
11:35:10
the class A office building and I mean,
11:35:15
and just the quality of the types of
11:35:18
office buildings that are being built in
11:35:20
our city. The new high class restaurants
11:35:26
that are coming in the city, the
11:35:29
different types of workforce and
11:35:32
affordable housing developments, the
11:35:33
different art and culture that's taking
11:35:36
place in all that's going on in the city.
11:35:39
And then we have a number of other things
11:35:41
that are on the drawing board, like
11:35:44
Vanderbilt that will be coming Cleveland
11:35:46
clinic and on whatnot. And so that's the
11:35:49
physical outward sexy part of the
11:35:52
transformation. But I am equally excited
11:35:55
about the transformation,
11:35:57
the other transformation.
11:35:58
And that's the internal transformation.
11:36:01
You know, when I look at the
11:36:03
transformation of our organization in
11:36:06
terms of how we were operating when we
11:36:12
change administrations in terms of the
11:36:15
mayor being elected and
11:36:17
putting new staff in place.
11:36:19
We have quietly been going through for me
11:36:25
an equally sexy transformation,
11:36:29
particularly when I looked at our budget,
11:36:33
you know, and how we budget my very first
11:36:35
budget back in 2021.
11:36:37
And that was, you know, under doing the
11:36:41
midst of the pandemic where we were
11:36:42
dealing with that $7 million hit from the
11:36:45
pandemic. And we actually had 11
11:36:48
different work sessions with the board
11:36:51
before we got to a balanced budget.
11:36:54
And because we have gotten our arms
11:36:57
around our finances and our budgeting in
11:37:01
a different manner utilizing best
11:37:04
budgeting practices, you know, for the
11:37:06
most part, the very first time out on the
11:37:09
work session, you know, the board
11:37:11
embraces the proposed balanced budget.
11:37:14
So that's a transformation that, you
11:37:19
know, I couldn't be more pleased about.
11:37:22
And then when I look at operating
11:37:24
procedures, you know, we are doing things
11:37:27
so differently from the way
11:37:30
that they were being done.
11:37:32
And we have embraced trying to become as
11:37:35
efficient and effective as we can. Now,
11:37:40
the operating transformation, that's not
11:37:43
sexy stuff to
11:37:44
residents and whatnot, perhaps.
11:37:47
I think that they have an appreciation
11:37:50
for having an effective and efficient
11:37:53
government. They like the fact that if
11:37:57
they call with a complaint, it's going to
11:38:00
be responded to, and that we judiciously
11:38:03
utilize the taxpayer dollars and all of
11:38:07
the dollars that we get.
11:38:08
But a resident is not going to sit down
11:38:11
and say, oh, you know, the city has this
11:38:13
sexy transformation going on internally
11:38:15
in higher operates, you know, and I'm
11:38:17
probably the only one that
11:38:18
will put it in that perspective.
11:38:20
But I see it as though we have this dual
11:38:23
transformation that has been happening
11:38:25
over the five years, one that has been
11:38:28
very explosive physically from the
11:38:31
community aspect and one that has been
11:38:34
incrementally very steady, very
11:38:37
methodical internally.
11:38:38
But it takes a very effective internal
11:38:43
operation to be in place so that the
11:38:49
external transformation can happen
11:38:51
without a lot of hiccups. And so that's
11:38:54
the connection between the two.
11:38:55
What I would like to see moving forward
11:38:58
in terms of my future here at the city,
11:39:02
you know, is to continue to be in a
11:39:04
position to provide good administrative
11:39:08
leadership to the organization and to
11:39:12
continue to be a resource to this mayor,
11:39:18
whomever becomes our next mayor, to help
11:39:21
shape city policy and
11:39:23
to make certain that
11:39:24
we are that city that is the one that
11:39:31
continues to be the cornerstone of Palm
11:39:36
Beach County. And that's probably a very
11:39:37
selfish perspective, but that's one that
11:39:42
I think we have established, you know,
11:39:46
the reputation of being, you know, the
11:39:49
city, the place to be and whatnot.
11:39:52
And so I think we have to continue to
11:39:55
just stay on top of what's happening so
11:39:58
that we're able to pivot when we need to,
11:40:00
but keep the city moving forward.
11:40:03
Clearly during your last discussion here,
11:40:06
it's clear that you are indeed the
11:40:08
cheerleader and you are you're high on
11:40:11
the city of West Palm Beach
11:40:12
and that's really wonderful.
11:40:12
I want to thank you for your time today,
11:40:16
Administrator Faye. I very much
11:40:18
appreciate your time and we appreciate
11:40:20
everything you do for the
11:40:21
city of West Palm Beach.
11:40:22
Oh, you're very welcome. I am just so
11:40:24
honored to be sitting in the seat that I
11:40:27
am, you know, and to be able to be the
11:40:31
city administrator for the city that I
11:40:33
was born and raised in.
11:40:35
I mean, it's an opportunity of a lifetime
11:40:37
and one that doesn't come very often. So
11:40:39
thank you for having me.
11:40:40
And thank you for joining us for the City
11:40:43
Center podcast. If you have comments or
11:40:45
ideas for other topics, please feel free
11:40:48
to write us at podcast at wpb.org.
11:40:53
This has been a production of the City of
11:40:54
West Palm Beach Communications
11:40:55
Department. I'm Jerry
11:40:57
Marcello. We'll see you next time.