This was supposed to be easy – a straightforward news story about the resignation last week of the county’s public works director, Addie Javed.
Certainly, the abrupt departure was newsworthy, especially since County Commission Vice Chairman Deryl Loar confirmed Monday that Javed was the second department head to be asked to resign in the past two months.
It was the silence of County Administrator John Titkanich, though, that resulted in this column.
Despite multiple requests for an interview late last week – first during a brief phone conversation Friday, followed by text messages sent throughout the weekend and into Monday morning – Titkanich did not respond. That was unusual.
Not only has the embattled administrator been treated fairly in this space, as well as in Vero Beach 32963 news stories, but, until now, he had exhibited no reluctance to field questions about county business. Also curious was the failure of Titkanich’s staff to promptly provide the requested communications among the county administration, and between administrators and Javed, pertaining to the resignation.
Why the sudden change?
You’d think Titkanich would want to get in front of this story, knowing the county has been making headlines on a regular basis lately – and not all the news has been flattering.
In addition to the county’s sometimes-ugly budget battle with Sheriff Eric Flowers, Titkanich has found himself at the center of too many other recent controversies, including:
- Intense scrutiny from Loar and Commission Chair Joe Flescher, both of whom have over the past year publicly questioned the administrator’s leadership and, in some cases, competence.
- A comptroller’s audit alleging last summer the administrator had misinterpreted the wording in his contract and county policy to give himself an unauthorized pay raise in May.
- The August arrest of now-former County Planning Director Chris Balter, who resigned in disgrace amid felony drug and forgery charges in connection with the death of his terminally ill, 92-year-old grandfather.
More recently, Titkanich was forced to explain why Balter continued to receive his full salary – along with accrued vacation time and a biweekly automobile allowance – for a month after he was told to leave the County Administration complex three days after his arrest.
The last thing Titkanich needed, then, was the departure of another department head two months later.
Remember: Titkanich was fully aware Balter had been arrested three times on DUI-related charges when he promoted him to the top of the county’s Planning Department last year.
This past March, Titkanich also hired Javed, who was a finalist for the assistant county administrator’s job that went to Nancy Bunt. “Our county administrator chose both of these guys, and in a short time, they’re gone,” Flescher said. “That’s a problem.”
We know why Balter left – and we’re better off without him – but Javed’s exit remains a mystery.
In his Oct. 13 resignation letter, Javed wrote: “Serving the residents of Indian River County has been a privilege and a deeply rewarding professional experience.”
He would add, however: “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to step away from my role to dedicate more time to my family. This decision, while difficult, comes from a place of reflection and balance between professional commitment and family responsibilities.”
County sources said that while Javed took the job here, his family remained in the Tampa area, and he would commute weekly between there and Vero Beach.
Those same sources say the scenario surrounding Javed’s decision was more complicated, hinting that there was friction between him and the administration.
In his Oct. 13 email to the commissioners, Titkanich did not provide a reason for Javed’s departure, writing only that he was “accepting Mr. Javed’s resignation, effective immediately, and placing him on administrative leave with pay through his resignation date.”
For those wondering: Titkanich added that, per county policy, Javed will be paid through Nov. 14, receiving his accrued vacation time and automobile allowance.
Clearly, there’s more to this story, and Titkanich should provide a full explanation of the circumstances that led to Javed’s resignation. Indeed, the administrator needs to address the flaws in a selection process that resulted in Balter’s promotion and Javed’s hiring.
“To have two such resignations in two months is not only a distraction, but a disruption that diminishes our effectiveness, consistency and ability to complete the important work than needs to be done,” Flescher said.
“Initially, we were advised that the culture in our organization needed to be changed,” he added. “But as the culture is being changed, our consistency and effectiveness has been disrupted.
“That’s a major concern.”
Both Flescher and Loar say these resignations, along with the pay-raise controversy, must be part of the discussion when the commissioners decide whether to extend Titkanch’s contract, which expires in April. In fact, Loar said he plans to request that Titkanich provide the commission with another quarterly update on the administration’s performance next month.
“I want to start the conversation in November, just to see where we are as a commission,” Loar said. “We’ll see what the other commissioner say, maybe get comments from the public. We’ll see if there are any cracks.
“If we have three commissioners who think things are fine, I’ll know where I am, but I’ve already got serious reservations,” he added. “What’s been happening is a bad look for the county, for the commissioners, and for him. And it starts at the top.”
So now it’s up to Titkanich.
He can do this the easy way – or end up reading another column.
