ANNA MARIA – On Monday, Sept. 28, City Clerk and city administrator appointee Amber LaRowe submitted her resignation memo to Mayor Mark Short.
LaRowe also served as the city’s human resources administrator and public records management liaison.
She tendered her resignation three days before she was to begin her tenure as Anna Maria’s first city administrator, assuming a newly created position the mayor requested and the city commission unanimously approved in August. In September, the commission authorized the mayor’s request for Deputy Clerk Barbara Jeffries to succeed LaRowe as city clerk, effective Oct. 1.
LaRowe’s resignation memo says, “Please accept this memorandum as my formal resignation from my position with the city of Anna Maria.”
The “effective date” was left unspecified, but a “Thank You” email LaRowe sent to the mayor and city commissioners later in the week indicated Friday, Oct. 2, would be her final day at the office.
“This decision has not been made lightly. I have invested a significant amount of time, energy and professional commitment into the city, its employees, its administrative systems, its public records responsibilities and the organizational changes necessary to support effective municipal operations,” the memo says.
“Over the past several weeks, however, I have reached the point where I no longer believe I can responsibly continue to accept the level of professional responsibility assigned to me without corresponding support, authority and timely resolution of serious concerns I have formally raised,” the memo says.
LaRowe submitted her resignation days after four employee complaints previously sent to the mayor on May 14 resurfaced in an email finance department assistant Jeff Charles sent to Short, LaRowe and others on Sept. 22 to formalize his acceptance of his full-time position being reduced to a part-time position.
The workplace complaints were previously sent to Short in May by Charles, City Planner Ashley Austin, Public Works Manager Dean Jones and former city employee Leigh Fuller. The complaints primarily addressed the workplace behavior of LaRowe and Code Enforcement Manager Tom Collins.
In their totality, the four complaints alleged workplace harassment, nepotism and improper hiring practices, unequal enforcement of workplace policies, retaliation, hostile conduct and targeting, possible sexual harassment, improper disclosure of confidential employee information and more.
On Sept. 22, Austin sent Short a new complaint regarding verbal comments LaRowe’s husband and fellow city employee Ryan LaRowe allegedly made that morning. Later that day, The Sun independently obtained copies of the Sept. 22 emails and the employee complaints filed in May – a records acquisition that troubled LaRowe.
In her resignation memo, LaRowe wrote, “Since September 23, I have submitted multiple formal grievances, administrative review requests, records management memoranda and requests for independent investigation concerning workplace conduct, dissemination of sensitive employee relations information, handling of city records and preservation of public records.
“Two formal employee grievances were submitted under Section XI(E) of the city’s employee handbook. I specifically requested neutral review and written determinations and removed myself from any investigative role because I was personally involved in the underlying matters.
“I also submitted a formal request for an independent administrative investigation addressing the cumulative effect of workplace conduct, dissemination of sensitive information, use of city systems, heightened scrutiny and the impact these circumstances were having on my ability to perform my duties effectively. I requested preservation of relevant evidence and evaluation of interim protective measures,” the resignation memo says.
“Separately, in my capacity as records management liaison officer (RMLO), I documented the dissemination of complaint and investigative records containing confidential information without prior RMLO review, redaction or authorization through the city’s public records process. I also requested law enforcement and administrative review concerning that dissemination.
“Most recently, I initiated a formal records integrity investigation after approximately 93 city electronic records associated with Dean Jones were identified as having been deleted. I requested immediate preservation measures and temporary restriction of access to city electronic systems while that review was pending because continued unrestricted access created a records-preservation concern. That recommendation was not accepted,” the resignation memo says.
“I recognize and respect that the mayor has management authority and may reach conclusions different from my own. However, as city clerk and RMLO, I also have independent professional obligations to identify risks, preserve the integrity of city records, document potential compliance issues, and raise concerns when I believe the city’s administrative or records management responsibilities may be compromised.
“I cannot continue to accept responsibility for the integrity of processes I am charged with administering while lacking the authority or institutional support necessary to protect those processes when significant concerns arise,” LaRowe wrote.
“I am also increasingly concerned by the number of formal matters I have submitted that remain unresolved or without clear assignment, findings, or written determinations. Although a general administrative review and records preservation notice was issued, my individual grievances and broader requests for independent review remain pending. The city’s adopted grievance procedure provides a process for review and response, including defined timelines and written decisions at the appropriate stage.
“Taken together, these circumstances have caused me to conclude that I no longer have the confidence necessary to continue effectively in my current role or to move forward into expanded administrative responsibility,” LaRowe wrote.
“This resignation is not based upon one disagreement, one employee, or one isolated decision. It is based upon the cumulative effect of being responsible for HR administration, employee relations, records management, compliance, organizational operations and increasingly serious workplace matters while repeatedly finding that the responsibilities assigned to me exceed the authority and support available to carry them out effectively.
“I have always tried to approach these matters carefully, factually and professionally. I have repeatedly avoided predetermined conclusions, requested neutral review where I was personally involved, documented my actions, and sought to protect both employees and the city.
“At this point, however, continuing in my position would require me to accept professional accountability for circumstances and processes that I do not believe I am sufficiently empowered to protect or resolve. That is not a position I am professionally comfortable remaining in,” LaRowe wrote.
“I am proud of the work I have completed for the city and of the systems, policies, organizational improvements, and professional standards I have worked to establish. I sincerely hoped to continue that work and to serve the city in an expanded leadership capacity. However, under the present circumstances, I believe resignation is the most appropriate professional decision,” LaRowe’s resignation memo said in closing.
“THANK YOU” EMAIL
On Thursday, Oct. 1, Amber LaRowe sent a “Thank You” email from her city email account to Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short and city commissioners Chris Arendt, Kathy Morgan-Johnson, John Lynch, Gary McMullen and Charlie Salem.
“As I prepare to close this chapter with the city of Anna Maria, I wanted to personally thank each of you for the opportunity to serve this community and the confidence you placed in me, my experience and the direction I hoped to help bring to the city,” her Oct. 1 email said, in part.
“Serving Anna Maria has meant more to me than simply holding a position. I truly believed I would continue growing here, eventually leading the organization and serving this city for many years to come. Saying goodbye is therefore bittersweet, and certainly not how I imagined this chapter ending.
“As I begin looking toward what comes next professionally, I would be very grateful for any letters of recommendation or support that you would feel comfortable providing,” her Oct. 1 email said.
Related coverage:
