City Clerk Tenders Surprise Resignation

Brooksville's city clerk is resigning from her post after 21 years on the job.

City Manager Jennene Norman-Vacha confirmed Karen Phillips' departure on Wednesday, saying the resignation letter came as a surprise.

In her resignation letter dated Nov. 3, Phillips writes that it's time for her to evaluate other opportunities, primarily retirement. She describes Brooksville as "a remarkable place for our residents to live."

To her employees and colleagues: "So far we have been able to keep our small town values while still providing top-grade services to our citizens."

She lists her last day as Dec. 31.

Phillips said by phone Wednesday that "it's just time" to resign, without elaborating.

Friends and colleagues are dismayed by Phillips' coming departure and there is speculation that recent restructuring in City Hall's administration led to the resignation.

Former city council member and two-time mayor Mary Staib said Wednesday she believes that recent administrative changes likely led to Phillips' resignation. By taking away her duties, Phillips was squeezed out of a job, Staib said.

"I feel a little hocus pocus is going on," she said.

Phillips took a salary cut of about $15,000 in September after the city council approved a restructuring plan intended to reduce the city's budget. Up until that point, Phillips was also head of administration, human resources and information technology services, in addition to her duties as city clerk.

Norman-Vacha assumed most of those duties under the new plan.

Phillips was also in charge of organizing city elections, but that duty could be in jeopardy, too. The city council has discussed transferring candidate paperwork duties over to the county elections office, but has yet to officially name Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams as their "designated election official."

Norman-Vacha said that she was working with Phillips on some areas that needed improvement in the city clerk's office. But the restructuring plan was intended solely as a streamlining measure, Norman-Vacha said, adding that she dealt with the performance issues directly.

"They are not related," she said.

Local artist Mary Alice Queiros said Wednesday that it was Phillips' support that allowed the City Hall art gallery to get off the ground 10 years ago. She laughed at the recollection of the two of them hanging paintings on the second floor.

"She was tall and I was short. I held the bottom part and she held the top part," she said.

It was under her direction that City Hall took on a welcoming feel and made people feel they were family, Queiros said.

On weekends, she and Phillips would drive downtown and scout out spots for large-scale murals depicting the Brooksville of old.

Phillips' support for all of Brooksville's citizens is the reason Mable Sims will miss the outgoing city clerk. Sims said Wednesday that Phillips was instrumental in helping her great-uncle, Arthur St. Clair, become the sixth Great Brooksvillian in 2007.

With Phillips' guidance, Sims was able to fill out the necessary paperwork and applications that led to St. Clair's selection. Beyond that, Sims lauded Phillips for contacting her about exhibitions for Black History Month.

"Karen Phillips was the person that tried to help regardless of race and color," Sims said.