- December 4, 2025
Dear Editor,
When I left the Palm Coast City Council in 2008, I made it a point to stay away from city politics and concerns. For reference, I served as mayor and councilman for 20 years in a New Jersey town with a similar form of municipal government.
If I learned nothing else, it was that the first and most important job of a council was to make sure they had or hired a professional and competent city manager. Elected councilmen can talk forever about what they would like to do, but it takes the manager to build and maintain the organization needed to handle the everyday operations of the community and bring to life the visions of the mayor and council. He sees city needs and advises the council accordingly.
The bottom line is that the last few councils have failed in that duty. And we are experiencing the results.
William Venne
Palm Coast
