Swept Under The Rug

In our October 30th article, “Bullied by Our Mayor,” we shed light on the troubling dynamics within our town's leadership under Mayor Alison Dennington. Following a survey conducted by an independent company that revealed overwhelmingly negative feedback from town employees regarding the mayor’s conduct, we highlighted the urgent need for action to address these concerns. Recent emails reveal that Mayor Dennington continues with her harassment of Town staff.

Truth and Accuracy Matter finds this ongoing abuse of our Town staff to be reprehensible. We can’t help but ask ourselves, what happened to the Special Workshop that the Interim Town Manager, Lisa Frazier, was directed by the commission to coordinate and schedule? Is this being swept under the rug?

We all expected that steps would be taken to ensure a healthier work environment. The commission directed the Interim Town Manager to organize a Special Workshop aimed at discussing these complaints and finding constructive solutions. However, now as we approach February, no such workshop has been scheduled. This lack of follow-through raises serious questions about accountability at the highest levels of our town government. 

Adding fuel to an already volatile situation, recent correspondence reveals Mayor Dennington’s continuing abusive behavior towards Town staff. Just before leaving to attend the Florida League of Mayor’s Convention in Tallahassee this past week, membership services for the Florida League of Cities sent Dennington a final notice for dues that she omitted to submit in October.

In her true fashion of not being able to accept personal responsibility, Dennington literally blamed her omission on our Town finance manager. Dennington sent the following 8-word, snarky email to Jennifer Kerr late last Saturday night, stating, “is there a reason yall aren’t paying this?”  (Punctuation and spelling errors are as written.)

First thing Monday morning, Ms. Kerr replied to the mayor, “I don’t receive the invoice for this. You have always sent me the email in the past. It goes to you and then you send it to me. This is the first email I have seen for this. It is paid now. Can you see if they will add me to the Dues Notices so I also receive the invoice?”

Wouldn’t the typical professional reply from the mayor for her oversight be something along the lines of, “Thank you Jennifer for handling this for me. Sorry I forgot to forward the invoice! I appreciate your prompt attention to the matter.”      ???    But NOOOOO… 

You can read Mayor Dennington’s actual response: (Please note, we did not correct Dennington’s spelling and grammar errors. This is exactly the way she wrote it.)  

“that is patently false, literally a lie, literally a lie - - in numerous ways. Sometimes Im shocked by your audacity in how you are willing to lie, reframe/rewrite history and fact. In numerous ways. over, and over. I realize thats blunt and harsh, but its the truth and ought to be said. and you know it. Last year when you failed to pay and I forwarded you and Mascara that email notice of the first notice (this is a thrud notice) you clutched your pearls in an email response and said you were about to pay it and had just gotten the invoice or some ridiculous excuse and had the audacity to try to shame me for suggesting - by forwarding a late notice to you that youwerent doing your job, or not as to me, even thiugh all I did was then was forward and email and ask.

so this year I waited. btw they DO send the town, YOU an invoice. They oy ALSO send a notuce to the elected official - if the the STAFF or management doesnt pay.

So stop trying to lie. Because Ill be so happy to prove it. SO happy!”

Can you imagine how you would feel if you received an email like this from anyone, let alone the sitting mayor of the town you work for?  

WHY is this abusive behavior toward our Town staff allowed to continue? 

True professionalism rises above abhorrent behavior when you see Ms. Kerr’s next step. Ms. Kerr replied to the mayor and copied the Town Manager and Town Attorney with the following email:

“Good Morning Mayor,

I am sorry you feel this way about me. I am not a liar. This is not an email I received. If I received it I would have paid it. Once you sent it to me, I paid it. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Kerr”

After the accusations were made by Dennington, Ms. Kerr reached out to the Florida League of Cities by phone to confirm the procedure. FLC documented their conversation in a follow-up email stating, “Florida League of Mayors dues invoices are emailed to the Mayor in October. If you or someone else would like to receive a copy of the invoice, please let me know.”

It’s important to note that as far back as we are aware, the past mayors of the Town of Melbourne Beach have not felt the need to participate in the Florida League of Mayors as they could not justify the taxpayer expense as a benefit to the town.

So, for those who may be thinking that the Town finance manager should have known the procedure, this is a new expense incurred by Mayor Dennington. The fact is, as confirmed above, the invoices are sent directly to the mayor. The Florida League of Mayors does not invoice the Town. Mayor Dennington, we’ll wait for you “to prove it” otherwise…

This unprofessional behavior reflects poorly on Mayor Dennington’s leadership style and serves as a distressing reminder of how unchecked power can lead to toxic work environments. It is essential for us as citizens to recognize that such behavior IS UNACCEPTABLE in our town and we do not condone it. 

It is imperative that we call upon local leaders—including commission members—to take action against this abuse, rather than allow it to fester unchecked. We urge them to insist upon meaningful dialogues with town staff where grievances can be aired safely without fear of reprisal or further hostility. 

As residents who love our town and care deeply about our community’s future, we must be diligent in our selection of leaders, particularly in the upcoming mayoral election this November. 

Truth and Accuracy Matter looks forward to leading the charge in finding and supporting the ideal candidate for mayor. Our town deserves a candidate that will unite us as neighbors instead of inflating fears and creating division. We need a candidate with a broad perspective of serving the needs of the town as a whole. A candidate who can direct fiscal responsibility within the constraints of our small town budget.

Together let’s strive toward restoring dignity back into our local governance! 

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