Opinion: Boundaries Build Trust — Why Limiting Commissioner–Staff Contact Protects North Port
By Carmine Miranda, Resident of North Port
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
By Carmine Miranda, Resident of North Port
Trust in government doesn’t come from slogans; it comes from structure, transparency, and consistency. As North Port continues to grow, our city government faces an increasingly complex set of challenges. At the same time, a small but vocal group of residents has made opposition to nearly anything the City Manager does a rallying point.
That tension underscores why the City Charter’s limits on direct contact between commissioners and city staff are not barriers to communication; they are safeguards of integrity.
The purpose behind the rule
North Port operates under a Commission–Manager form of government, the same model used by most successful cities in Florida. In this structure, the City Commission sets policy, and the City Manager carries it out through professional staff.
This design exists for one simple reason: to prevent politics from infiltrating day-to-day operations. The Charter directs commissioners to work through the City Manager when seeking information or assistance from staff. That separation keeps the public’s business transparent, prevents favoritism, and protects employees from political pressure.
The risk of misperception
When commissioners bypass that structure and speak directly with staff, even casually, it opens the door to suspicion. A small group of critics can quickly turn those interactions into accusations of favoritism, insider influence, or backroom dealing; especially in today’s climate of online speculation.
Even if nothing improper occurs, the appearance of impropriety can be just as damaging. Staff morale suffers, trust erodes, and the city’s attention shifts from service delivery to damage control.
Florida’s Sunshine Law and Code of Ethics are among the strongest in the nation. They prohibit not only actual misuse of office but also the appearance of special access or insider advantage. Direct commissioner–staff contact can unintentionally blur that line.
Should the Charter be changed?
Some have suggested that North Port amend its City Charter to allow commissioners to “casually” speak with staff outside the City Manager’s oversight. At first glance, that might seem harmless; an effort to improve communication or gather information faster. But in practice, it introduces far more risk than benefit.
Casual access sounds simple, but it’s a slippery slope. A quick question about a neighborhood project can become a policy discussion. A friendly chat about a building permit can become perceived as pressure. A commissioner with business interests in the city could easily, even unintentionally, gain inside knowledge unavailable to competitors.
Worse, a vocal group of residents already predisposed to oppose the City Manager could seize on any informal contact to allege bias, favoritism, or corruption. The mere perception of backdoor influence can erode confidence in City Hall overnight.
The current Charter model isn’t a barrier to openness; it’s a firewall against chaos. If commissioners want information, they can (and should) request it through the City Manager, ensuring every elected official gets the same data at the same time. That’s fairness, not bureaucracy.
Building confidence, not conflict
Limiting commissioner–staff interaction doesn’t silence anyone; it protects everyone. It keeps communication professional, decisions transparent, and the chain of command intact. It shields staff from political pressure, commissioners from ethics complaints, and residents from government that looks, or feels, uneven.
Changing the Charter to loosen those boundaries would weaken the very guardrails that keep our city stable and trustworthy. In an age when misinformation travels faster than facts, consistency and structure are the city’s best defenses.
North Port’s success depends on public confidence. That confidence grows when commissioners focus on policy, staff remain professional, and the City Manager ensures operations are managed fairly and efficiently.
Boundaries don’t limit progress; they safeguard it. And by honoring those boundaries, North Port can continue to grow with the transparency, trust, and professionalism our community deserves.
A closing thought
As North Port grows, so will the stakes. The best legacy our leaders can leave is a predictable, open, and fair process; one where decisions are made in public, officials are accountable, and staff can do their jobs free from political pressure. Limiting direct commissioner–staff contact and routing matters through the City Manager isn’t red tape; it’s a guardrail that keeps our city moving forward while minimizing the frictions that a small, determined opposition could otherwise magnify.
While maintaining these boundaries is essential, it’s equally important to address the tension that created this discussion in the first place. Disagreements between the City Manager and individual commissioners should never fester or become personal.
A constructive solution would be for the City Manager, the full Commission, and Human Resources to work together to resolve misunderstandings, clarify expectations, and reaffirm the professional roles outlined in the Charter.
That approach strengthens communication within the proper framework, restores mutual respect, and keeps the focus where it belongs: on serving all the people of North Port.
