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Century Clerk Wants To Be Town Manager; Questions Why She’s Paid Less Than ‘White-Haired Man’ For Same Job
June 9, 2022
Century’s town clerk is questioning why she, as a female, is being paid less and has a lessor title and position than a man that was doing the essentially the same job before her.
“Here’s where I’m torn, what I don’t understand,” Town Clerk Leslie Howington said. “It’s why the white-haired man was given the title and the position and the pay, the compensation, and the recognition and an expense account. And homegirl comes in, does all the work except look at a water meter and tell you what’s wrong with it, and is no longer eligible to be town manager.”
After nearly two years on the job, interim town manager Vernon Prather’s last day was November 30, 2021, when he opted not to seek a contract renewal. He is the “white-haired man” referenced by Howington. Century also had a town clerk that resigned to attend nursing school.
The town advertised for a town clerk and a town manager — as two different positions. Former town clerk Howington applied for both, and made an unsolicited proposal to combine the two positions. The town council approved Mayor Ben Boutwell’s recommendation to hire Howington as town clerk, and followed his recommendation not to hire a town manager.
“We need a public works director; we don’t need a town manager,” Boutwell told the council in December 2021.
This week, Howington presented a memo to the town council proposing several staffing changes, including the hiring of a utilities director and combining her position of town clerk with town manager. Both positions would report directly to the mayor.
Due to complications from an accidental injury last week, Boutwell was forced to leave Tuesday night’s council meeting early, prior to discussion on the personnel proposals.
Council members expressed negative opinions about creating the combo town manager-clerk position and hiring a utilities director, especially if the individuals would not report to the council. Officially, they tabled the requests due to the mayor’s absence.
(article continues below photo)
“I’m sorry,” Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. told Howington in reference to her inequitably statements.
“We did not hire him (Prather) to do what he did because we hired him to be a city manager to actually be out in the field,” Gomez said. “He went over there and roughed up all of the employees at the shop and made them mad. So he came and sat in the office, and people griped that he did nothing for 30 hours a week.”
“Let me tell you that I have 118 hours today of unpaid compensation,” said Howington, who was hired at $24.55 per hour.
“I told you this, and I’m not ashamed to tell you again. Stop doing what you are not getting paid for,” Gomez replied. “I appreciate your heart and all…If you stop doing it, we are going to have to hire somebody to do it.”
“You are not going to go into the field,” he continued. “I want a city manager that is going to be in the field and be able to show me how to fix, because what Vernon (Prather) did was sit on his butt in there (the town hall offices)”.
“You’re holding this up. I’ve been here seven months, it was never a secret to anyone that I came home to be the town manager,” Howington said. She said when the town advertised for a town manager three years ago, she was leasing apartments in Pensacola. She said she read the job description and went back to school to obtain a required public administration degree so she could be town manager when the position opened again.
“I love being here,” she said of Century. “This is what I want to do when I grow up; I want to be here. I don’t understand the hesitancy.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
34 Responses to “Century Clerk Wants To Be Town Manager; Questions Why She’s Paid Less Than ‘White-Haired Man’ For Same Job”
YOU GO GIRL! STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND NEVER TAKE ANYTHING LESS! LOVE YOU !
I love living in century so much this is my home town but I can honestly say that I have never been impressed with Leslie’s performance! I have worked for her I have friends and family that has worked for/with her she is rude to coworkers loves to hang the title she has over peoples heads and yea she does a lot of work but if the work she does is not in her job description she needs to stop doin it! Don’t do things out of your job description because people get used to you doing them and then expect them, and then you complain you ain’t paid enough? Leslie done this to herself! Stop being greedy and treat staff with respect maybe you’ll get somewhere in life!
Century sounds like Prichard on the Escambia. Always in the news for government problems and not ncimpetence
Century sounds like Prichard in the Escambia. Always a n the news fir government incomoetence
Gomez probably wanted to run Prather off because he wanted his buddy Hawkins to be hired as manager.
Which is a shame because Prather was really good for the viabity of holding the municipality together, no doubt also helpful to CTA and Gulf Breeze.
Keep water running in out cheaper than ECUA.
See 3 seats are open.
Pretty simple, the white haired man corrected the past administration’s screw of of which home girl was a part of.
Seems pretty simple a town paying more for natural gas than it bills for is mismanagement.
Not a great resume.
It is being publicly discussed because it was brought up at public meeting.
Personality aside, it is what it is.
Wow.. who would want to work for the town of Century when they smear their employees and co-workers publicly?
Whatever happened to praise in public and correct in private?
So unprofessional.
The guy leaving had a ton of experience and background so was paid more. If you don’t like the pay don’t apply for the job..it aint rocket science.
the lady does a good job. unlike most of the people at city hall.
Equal Pay for Equal Work…
So simple to measure…
If there’s anything else she is expected to then let her know that and let her do it…
Then pay her for that work…
Has anyone ever thought to drive over to Jay and see how they do things? Like Century, Jay has a “Mayor-Council” form of government but the Mayor is presiding officer and a voting member of the Town Council. In Jay the Town Council led by the Mayor appoints the towns appointive officers like the town clerk “and other such officers and employees” as the council may deem necessary.” The town’s executive power is vested in the Mayor. Jay and Gulf Breeze are the only two municipalities in the Pensacola Bay Area where the Mayor is a voting member of the council. I think that’s why both work so well. In contrast, the Mayor is not a council member in Century, Pensacola and Milton and that is why they are all so dysfunctional. Jay and Gulf Breeze are organized for the Mayor and Council to work as one. Century, Pensacola and Milton are organized for the Mayor and Council to have an adversarial role, a little less so in Milton because its Mayor while not a council member does chair the meetings, a source of regular confusion.
I don’t see a problem, step down as Town Clerk and apply for Town Manager when the board deems necessary to hire that position. The position hired was Town Clerk, no matter what extra work you do and how much you go above and beyond it will never be noticed. If the Town Manager position is not filled, then sooner or later they will see the need to fill it. It should not be a He verses She issue; it is a job title verses job requirement issue. I am fairly new to Century going on three years, I love Century, but I get so frustrated at the negativity, we need to be working to make it better here. Let’s get a new prospective, new ideas, and a new attitude of positivity.
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Like really “white-haired man”? What is that card game called? Just imagine what other nicknames she has for folks at the table.
I don’t know Ms. Howimgton personally but this sounds like an entitlement mindset. She applied for two positions and was hired for 1 of the 2 she was interested in. I assume Mayor Boutwell made a decision to cancel the Town Manager position because it was no longer needed and Mr. Prather corrected the previous issues. Not because he had the hair of Colonel Sanders.
So I want to play baseball for the Atlanta Braves. I bought season tickets and own a real uniform, always got nice things to say about the team. I love Atlanta and read every book on how the team got started. If you ask anyone about me, they would say I am The Braves #1 Fan and there is no one else in the world who loves the braves more than me. So WHY IN THE WORLD WILL THEY NOT DRAFT ME TO PLAY FOR THE BRAVES?
So Century hired her at the pay she agreed to and Century is getting a cut in their payroll. No problem!!!!
SHE AGREED TO IT.
They would have to advertise the position again and take applicants. If she wanted the manager job, maybe she should have only applied for IT.
However the Mayor decided to table the management position and the council agreed and filled the clerk position, which she applied for.
If they just give it to her now. Well. That is illegal. That would be an unfair labor practice.
Her request demonstrates she DOES not understand All the laws of public service and actually puts others in an uncomfortable situation by bringing it up. O
Slippery slope to even write the memo, if she tries to file a lawsuit, it may not go well,
especially with the documented history of financial mismanagement in the recent past.
This sounds ALOT like discrimination!!
She is obviously qualified and is already doing the job without being paid,this shows her dedication to the town. She has brought an extremely valid point to their attention which sounds like a true financial benefit to a struggling town. Therefore she has exhibited absolute knowledge and true concern of the town’s financial situation. This sounds like the perfect solution to some of their financial issues and someone should have suggested it long ago and may have saved the town alot of issues. She is entitled to have this matter heard in full. Of course combining the position would constitute an absolute and well earned raise in pay which would surely still save the town quite a large amount of money. She sounds well qualified for both positions as she is obviously doing both already. Although she will have to change her language and present issues in a more professional manner in the future which I am extremely confident she is completely capable of doing if she obtains the position.
This is it right here….
“It is a leap to assume holding the fort down and even performing tasks outside job description qualifies a person for a permanent leadership position.”
“Do the job you’re hired to do. Even when we do so, we may actually be doing more work than our boss, but that doesn’t entitle us to be given their position.”
She could have made her point without saying “white haired old man”. Makes her sound like a whiny female and does a disservice to other women. Just make the case based on the work and or educational level and stop. I don’t know if this is the case but it is not uncommon for staff to hold an operation together in the absence of a leader. If processed are in place that is how it should be. It is a leap to assume holding the fort down and even performing tasks outside job description qualifies a person for a permanent leadership position.
What’s wrong with “white haired” men. We built this country.
If a person restricts their vision and self for working or living in a mudhole as Century..you have no aspirations to be normal and God forbid you EVER envisioned a future.
Century is not a normal part of anything.
“Homegirl” and “White-haired man”. She has demonstrated her leadership skills and why she was not hired as town manager. And one would question her ability to manage as a town clerk.
How not professional, but how typical Century.
After the Grand Jury finding Mr, Prather was hired to keep the town from continuing down the path of mismanagement of public money. Century was lucky to get him for a while. He turned the billing at the prison around to be lucrative. Renegotiated contracts.
If he jacked up,the employees, then he was doing his job, as the way we see it, the people being paid on staff over time were not being competent. They are the ones getting the benefits and pay.
For whatever reason, he left, after turning the ship around.
She is not doing the same job.
Ms Leslie Howington grew up in the town of Century. She loves the people of Century and they love her. She has always had a heart to serve others. She has the knowledge and experience to do the job! She has proven she can do the job! She should be given the title and the pay!
Shes paid less because she negotiated for less.
Her suggestion made people realize they were paying two people for doing one job and she wanted both paychecks.
So she is mad she can’t get her way after going outside the bounds. A little narcissistic?
At my employer I have over 1,000 hours of unpaid compensation at my shop and she isn’t anywhere close to other government employees in unpaid leave banks. I have friends who also have thousands of hours of unpaid compensation and they are government employees.
I suppose the remedy would be for this person to stop doing all the job duties that are not assigned to her nor fall under her responsibility. That’s basic work rules 101, page 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1. She will likely find much less stress doing what she is assigned and not extras, then demand payment.
Just imagine some stranger knocking at your door and they demand payment for washing your car you never told them to wash. Doesn’t work that way.
Why in all these stories hasn’t a single council member or mayor recommended placing a binding referendum on the next ballet to revoke the city charter and return to county rule. The 2020 census showed 1,998 residents, which current State law says is nowhere near enough to charter and successfully maintain a functioning city.
She is absolutely right to suggest this AGAIN before the council. It is actually a good use of funds and resources to give her the new title/position and more pay. She has already proven herself as Clerk plus more duties, and has even done tasks that were not expected or required. That is someone who is committed to the town and the people.
Mnon…..please don’t make comments on a town that you obviously don’t know much about. Sure, several industries have come.and gone over the years, but it is the people that make a place, and this area has some of the best.
How long has Century been struggling like this? YEARS! At this point, the Muppets could probably handle it better than it has been.
Sounds like the council member is just being mean and telling Ms.Leslie Howington you just keep doing the same job the white hair man had for less pay or quit doing the job and we will hire someone else to do it. And you know a new hire would get more money and the job title.Shame on the council member. Town of Century do Ms. Leslie right and give her the job title and money she deserves. Fair is fair don’t be mean and denied Ms.Leslie of what she was hired for.
“When I grow up” no offense but she appears quite grown. Can’t argue with the town council on this one for not hiring. Clerk and a manager are two different things let’s not confuse that.
I don’t want to sound mean but honestly there is a point being made. Do the job you’re hired to do. Even when we do so, we may actually be doing more work than our boss, but that doesn’t entitle us to be given their position. Making this a sexist or other type of complaint really deters people as they turn away from your cause. If she was hired as a city manager but paid less, then I could support her claim.
Same old power grabbing City Council. Amazing how they can complain about Mr. Prather now that he is gone but did little to rectify the situation when it was happening. If he was wasting city money sitting in the office for months and you did nothing to fix it sounds like the issue is more a Lack of Leadership. Now you knowingly admit to over working an employee outside of her job classification and you response to it is “Stop doing what you are not getting paid for” How about fix the issue!
The City of Century will not move forward until the City Council is replaced with leaders less focus on power and more about the people. A council that meets a couple times a month shouldn’t be running a town. Let the Mayor be Mayor.
Where there is no vision, the people perish
Obviously not the person for the position if you have to come in front of the council this way.
You had already been there done that, and knew what was up here.
Unfortunately you probably won’t be with the City much longer. Quit again.
The story of Century reminds me of one of those weird Believe It! or Not! stories of someone living with a dead relative for 20 years. They just keep putting paint on it to keep it appearing okay, but the town has been dead for decades. It is an old rail town that dried up decades ago. Now it is one of those state-line dives you just drive through as quickly as you can to get somewhere else.
You went to school to get a degree for a single position, in a single failed town and that was your aspirations!? and for $25 an hour essentially… and now you’re upset you don’t have the title and more pay… really? Honey you bet on the wrong horse. Deal with it and move on. Sometimes business ventures are a wash no shame in walking away. Wait for the next single position in a single town opens up.