Finance chief leaves after 2½ years — Delray Beach Chief Financial Officer Hugh Dunkley was leaving to take a job “out of municipal government” in waste management, he confirmed after the Sept. 10 City Commission workshop.
“I consider it an opportunity for advancement,” Dunkley said.
His last day on the job was Sept. 20. Laura Thezine, the city’s assistant finance director, is running the department in the interim.
Before coming to Delray Beach as chief financial officer in March 2022, Dunkley held similar positions at Tequesta and Deerfield Beach.
Vice Mayor Juli Casale said she liked Dunkley personally and is sad to see him go, but she did have some issues with the Finance Department.
“There have been different things that have happened that I thought were, let’s say, not necessarily amazing. I’ve asked for an audit of the Finance Department,” said Casale, who ran as a fiscal hawk in the election in March.
More money for beach sand — Delray Beach has secured an additional $9.7 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to help in its upcoming beach renourishment, the city manager told commissioners in his Sept. 13 information letter.
The money is in addition to the $3.8 million the state previously committed, according to a Sept. 10 email from Public Works Director Missie Barletto to City Manager Terrence Moore.
The federal government has pledged $11.2 million to the project, while Palm Beach County has said it will contribute $3.78 million.
In total, $28.5 million has been secured for the project, expected to take place next year, Moore told commissioners in his memo.
Manager gets pay boost — The City Commission voted unanimously Oct. 1 to give City Manager Terrence Moore a 3.5% merit raise. The increase is related to a 3.5 out 5 aggregate score on his evaluation by the five commissioners.
The raise, roughly $8,380, brings Moore’s salary to $247,809.
Moore was graded in 16 areas, including leadership, decision-making, and his relationship with the commission. “I gave Mr. Moore a very high score,” Commissioner Rob Long said. “He has risen to the occasion.”
Mayor Tom Carney said he approved of the 3.5% raise but said he has had issues with Moore, such as on his failure to provide more details about the proposed budget. Carney said he feels Moore understands his expectations better now.
Moore’s biggest critic on the commission, Vice Mayor Juli Casale, said she gave the city manager a score below 3.0. However, she met with Moore in the last week and said she was hopeful her concerns — which she didn’t elucidate upon — will be addressed.
— John Pacenti
Comments