Comments on: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell Resigns Effective Immediately

By: Century Resident

Century Resident — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 15:58:46 +0000

Ben accomplished so much as mayor, and worked hard to bring valuable $$ and business to improve the quality of life in Century.
It is a shame to see him treated this way and interrogated by a council member (Lewis) who clearly has an ulterior motive. This level of pettiness will continue to hold Century back.
I don’t blame him for resigning, what he was asking employee to do was not uncommon or unfair in the workplace.
Good luck Mr. Boutwell and thank you for working to improve the town.

By: Ddb

Ddb — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 23:30:13 +0000

It is unreal that the council stands behind employees who refuse to do their jobs poorly or not at all. It’s ridiculous to say that the mayor has a responsibility to make them feel welcome. It’s the mayor’s responsibility to make sure the job gets done! He was trying to do that and this is the thanks he gets. Lewis attacks relentlessly anyone who doesn’t look her. Let go of the hate lady. It doesn’t look good.

By: Billy bob

Billy bob — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 20:15:09 +0000

What a train wreck! Ms. Lewis is a disgrace. She literally turn her nose up when she is speaks to people. She is so rude and does a terrible job on the council. Get her out of here!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:15:26 +0000

@JJ

“employer can fire you without reason in Florida at any time”

Oh no, JJ. That’s not how the law works.

Florida is an at-will state, meaning that employers do not have to build a case before terminating someone’s employment. That does NOT mean they can “fire you without reason at any time”.

If you fire an employee as retaliation for using their legal rights? or as discrimination for the employee being in a protected class? or for protesting when/if you violate their contract/employment agreement? They can (and SHOULD) sue.

Again, if you are reading this, and work/worked for someone like JJ, please contact the National Labor Relations Board. They take workplace abuse and retaliation very seriously.

By: JJ

JJ — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:53:34 +0000

@Boob you
Guess what, employer can fire you without reason in Florida at any time when I let NoMonday
Go in 2003-4.
He told me he would draw unemployeement
NO,NOT ONE CENT

By: Just My 2cents

Just My 2cents — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:07:58 +0000

This situation has to involve something more than just cross training an employee for other positions. I would sincerely hope that something as trivial as that would not cause the Mayor of any town to resign and if it does, then he wasn’t the right person for the job in the first place. Century has, for many, many years had way more greater problems than this. Many of the comments speaks about the fact of Century being broke. But why is it broke? Somehow, it seems as if no one has ever had the wherewithal to do an investigation to see why. Wherein or who in does the problems lie? Century has for years, received monies and grants and for some reason, no one seems to know what happens to most of it. One thing is for sure, there is always going to be a paper trail. So why not do what is necessary to see where this money has gone. All you have to do is get the right people to follow the trail; an auditing firm that is in no way affiliated with anyone in Century, a firm that don’t have a stake in it one way or another. That would be my next move as the Century council. That’s something that should have been done years ago. And what about this 25 million dollars? It’s one thing for the town to receive it, but where will it end up? How about showing exactly how this money is, or will be spent. And what about the 3.9 million, that supposedly could only be spent on the Carver community center? The town of Century has long had a problem with money disappearing and the time has come to see just where all this money goes or have gone in the past. It’s time for the council to be about some real business and stop all of this pettiness. When the powers that be, in Tallahassee, look at Century they see the demographics, which is a town being majority black, so they expect failure. Century, it’s time for the citizens to care about what happens to Century. This town has been taken advantage of by others long enough.

By: Swamp Gas

Swamp Gas — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:54:58 +0000

Cross training is fine as long as all employees who are interested in cross training get the same opportunity. If not then it is grooming.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:35:10 +0000

@JJ

Then consider yourself extremely lucky that you managed to own a business for 32 years and never had an employee that knew their workplace rights.

To everyone else: if your employer is pulling the same stuff JJ is proudly admitting to, like trying to make you do a job outside of your job description, or firing you/reducing your hours in retaliation, please call the NLRB. Labor exploitation is no joke, and if they are doing it to you, they are likely doing it to your coworkers as well.

By: SW

SW — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:30:48 +0000

Revoke the charter. Sell off assets. Close the doors.

Flood the State Representative, State Senator, Governor, and Secretary of State with calls and letters.

By: W.B

W.B — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:52:37 +0000

M.in Bratt said it BEST . A CLOWN SHOW ……Century needs to let Dynette Lewis GO . I understand cross-training it’s perfectly normal but nowadays it aint. Nobody wants to work thanks to the messed up Country we living in….JS …Sorry Not Sorry..