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Hernando Today

Sub-par job evaluation warned of firing

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: November 4, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - The county's embattled former fleet department manager, Jack Stepongzi, received a scathing job performance review on his last evaluation in June and was warned of termination if he didn't improve.

The evaluation also lays the blame of a huge $350,000 department deficit squarely on Stepongzi's shoulders.

His supervisor, Department of Public Works Director Charles Mixson, said it was the lowest marks he ever gave a manager.

"Unless a dramatic improvement is achieved, within 30 days, termination is a distinct possibility," wrote Mixson.

But that termination never came. Instead, Mixson gave Stepongzi at least two more chances to improve his performance.

Stepongzi resigned under fire last Friday after admitting to Hernando Today he had accepted kickbacks from a part supplier.

On a scale of 1-5, Stepongzi's overall score on that evaluation was 2.370. An employee must attain a 3 to meet standards. If an employee scores less than 2.5, he is subject to automatically re-evaluation within 90 days.

In his written response to the evaluation, Stepongzi said he didn't fully agree with a few of the items given "the obstacles that were in place."

"The obstacles have recently been removed and the necessary changes should be easier and quicker to complete," he wrote.

But the changes never came.

Mixson said he followed up on that evaluation 60 days later instead of 30 and told Stepongzi he had two weeks to answer in written form all criticisms and deficiencies.

When he received that report, Mixson said he was not satisfied so he gave him another week to finish it up.

That deadline was up Monday, Nov. 2 - three days after Stepongzi quit after admitting to Hernando Today he received 10 percent "commissions" on the side from a Texas parts dealer. It is still undetermined whether he will be charged with any criminal activity.

Stepongzi's evaluation covered the period from June 2008 to June 2009. In almost every category, he received low marks.

Regarding job judgment, Mixson wrote Stepongzi "demonstrated alarming lapses of judgment and lack of common sense" and received a verbal warning for allowing employees to take home county-owned equipment.

The evaluation said Stepongzi failed to adequately monitor the productivity of the fleet, which resulted in a "substantial financial deficit."

After county commissioners asked Stepongzi not to replace a vehicle in the fleet, he still pursued replacement "with complete disregard for authority," Mixson wrote.

Mixson described Stepongzi as someone who often left work early and was not willing to "go the extra mile" to help the fleet organization or its personnel.

"When faced with a deadline for a critical report, (he) took off and went job hunting," Mixson wrote.

Mixson said he failed to adequately manage the productivity of the workforce that resulted in a large operating deficit and forced Mixson to ask commissioners for a $350,000 emergency loan from the general fund to continue day-to-day operations.

Stepongzi served as fleet operations manager in Pinellas County from 2004-07. In an e-mail, Chester Johnson, employee records and administration manager with Pinellas County, said there were no disciplinary notices in Stepongzi's file. Stepongzi took over as fleet manager in Hernando County in January 2008.

Interviewed soon after that, Stepongzi told Hernando Today he inherited a bad situation and that the department was $120,000 behind. Without elaborating, he said there were "internal" problems to be dealt with.

Last April, Stepongzi applied for a management position with a fleet department in Wisconsin. He didn't get the job.

In November 2007, commissioners shifted fleet operations to Purchasing Director Jim Gantt following the release of an audit citing problems with underused vehicles and employee accountability.

Commissioners did an about-face and again turned over the reins to Mixson in December 2008. A month later, Mixson told Hernando Today he started noticing there were financial problems.

The fleet department's budget for 2009 was $6.9 million and is divided into three separate accounts: $1.8 million for maintenance, $3.3 million for fuel and $1.8 million for vehicle renewal and replacement.

For 2010, the maintenance budget is $2.2 million, fuel is $1.5 million and vehicle renewal and replacement is $3.1 million, according to the county budget office.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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