LARGO – After listening to opinions for almost six hours, the Largo City Commission voted, 5-2, to fire long-time City Manager Steve Stanton just after midnight on Saturday.
Mayor Pat Gerard and Commissioner Rodney Woods voted against the resolution to terminate the city manager’s contract.
Stanton has been on paid administrative leave since Feb. 27 when the council first approved, 5-2, a resolution spearheaded by Commissioner Mary Gray Black to begin the termination proceedings. The vote came less than a week after Stanton made a public announcement that he was transgendered and planned to undergo gender reassignment.
Largo’s city charter includes a provision that allowed Stanton to request a public hearing, which was scheduled on Friday, March 23.
Stanton’s attorney Karen Doering began Friday’s proceeding shortly after 6 p.m. Stanton’s plan had been to educate the public and the commission. His hope had been to change the mind of at least one commissioner. The city’s charter requires a minimum of five commissioners to support termination of a city manager’s contract.
On his side, Stanton had the testimony of two successful transgendered women as well as a medical expert described by Doering as the leading authority in the United States and internationally on transgendered persons.
Stanton took almost 30 minutes to tell his story. He told the commissioners that the position of Largo City Manager was more than a job. He said it was his “passion.”
About 70 people, from as far away as Jacksonville and Lakeland, took their turn at the podium. Several came from Tampa, including a few USF students. At least 14 were transgendered. Not quite half of the speakers were from Largo.
The majority, almost 70 percent, asked the commission to reconsider its decision. Not all the speakers were in support of Stanton. Some admitted they didn’t even know the man. They urged the commission to vote for diversity in the work place. Many said the decision to terminate the city manager’s was job discrimination. Religious leaders asked commissioners to show compassion.
Speakers supporting the decision to fire the city manager urged commissioners to not listen to “outsiders” and to continue to hold firm and “do the right thing for Largo.” Some were employees or relatives of employees who had been fired by Stanton. Several used religious doctrine to support their opinion that Stanton must go.
But all the words, the many wearing T-shirts that said “Don’t Discriminate,” and a bomb scare, didn’t sway the five who in the end stuck with their initial decision that it was time for Stanton to go.
Gerard and Commissioner Gay Gentry thanked Stanton for his 17 years of service and 14 years of work as city manager.
“I join the mayor in thanking Steve for his service,” Gentry said. “I hope he will continue to be my friend.”
