Election fallout? Treasure Island city manager offers to resign

Through a public records request, the Guardian has learned that Treasure Island city manager Reid Silverboard offered to resign yesterday if the commission will approve a severance package for him.

On Tuesday March 14th, Silverboard wrote a “letter of separation “ to the mayor and the city commission, this before two incumbent city commissioners lost their bids for re-election the same day.

Reid Silverboard, City Manager

“I believe that the City Commission is ready for a change in the Administration of the City to lead the organization,” Silverboard said in his letter. Silverboard wrote his prescient letter while on vacation and reportedly out of state, indicating that he may have foreseen last night’s city election results.

To be clear: Silverboard is not resigning. He said he has asked the city attorney to “draft a separation agreement consistent with my contract”, and wants his last day of work to be May 8th. The issue will be placed on the agenda for the March 21st city commission meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

Silverboard was clearly annoyed that word of his possible departure was leaking after spending ten years in this job. One hour after we made our public records request for any records reflecting a resignation, Silverboard wrote a terse e-mail to the city commission from his cellphone in which he said:

I understand that word of my ‘resignation ‘ is spreading. I would like to be clear. I have offered to resign if we can reach agreement on a severance agreement. I hope this helps.

Given that mayor Bob Minning was one of the people who gave word of Silverboard’s “resignation” following last night’s election results, Minning may be trying to get a severance package for Silverboard from a new commission that was ready to fire him without one.

Last October, Silverboard called the Treasure Island Police Department on a resident who spoke his mind at an “open house” at city hall. The purpose of the open house, according to the invitation, was to “have open dialogue with city officials and your neighbors” about charter amendments and referendum questions.

Eight out of nine of those measures, all supported by Silverboard and the commission, failed heavily at the ballot box in November.

Whether the city commission is willing to give Silverboard a severance package remains to be seen. We will request a copy of the proposed severance package and separation agreement and report back.

As always, the Guardian reports and the readers decide. Please like our Facebook page to find out when we publish new stories.

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