FLAGLER BEACH, Florida — Flagler Beach is looking for a new city manager. There are several candidates for the position.
Leading the group is a former Fort Myers town manager who was fired from his last job, not because of his performance, but his wife’s.
Barry Griffin, the owner of a beachside motel, finds it ironic that the leading candidate for the city manager job has, or had, close ties to the adult entertainment business.
Scott Janke is the former Fort Myers town manager. He is separated from his wife.
Janke was abruptly terminated when the Fort Myers mayor discovered his wife was a porn star.
Griffin remembers when city leaders and homeowners rallied against the opening of an adult business club, Liquids, right next to the motel he manages.
“It just seems ironic with all the effort they put to closing Liquids down,” Griffin said. “It seems contradictory to what their stated object was several years back.”
Janke is the leading candidate for the city manager job in Flagler Beach.
Many business owners in the small beach town already know about Janke’s wife. However, they say his wife’s career should have no bearing on the city manager’s performance.
“I don’t think it should make a difference,” said Barbie Abera.
“If that’s the industry that she works in then that would be up to him,” said Jimmy Maqson.
“He could be married to Linda Lovelace. I wouldn’t care if he was a good city manager.”
The Flagler Beach mayor says that although she cannot vote on the city manager position, she prefers a local get the job.
The Flagler Beach Commission will meet Thursday to consider all the candidates for city manager.