Marco Island’s finance director Guillermo “Gil” Polanco resigned a day after disagreeing with the City Council chairman about results of the annual financial audit.
The audit, submitted to the city by independent auditors CliftonLarsonAllen on June 26 and to the state at the June 30 deadline showed material weaknesses and deficiencies in some internal controls. City Council Chairman Erik Brechnitz said the audit therefore wasn’t clean, something that hasn’t happened in his five years on the council. Polanco disagreed and said the audit was clean.
“I take offense to that,” Polanco said during the July 7 City Council meeting, “but the auditor will be here to present their report, but I’m reading the opinion of the auditor into the record, so you have it.”
“In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present, fairly in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the business type activities, the discreetly presented component units, each major fund and aggregate remaining fund information of the city as of September 30th, 2024, and the respective changes in financial position and where applicable cash flows thereof for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America,” the statement said.
“That’s a clean opinion,” Polanco said.
Polanco was hired in 2013 as the finance director. He also was appointed as interim city manager three times, shortly after he was hired, in 2017 and in 2019. A call to Polanco, on his city-issued mobile phone, and his personal cell phone went to voicemail and were not immediately returned.
Chairman Brechnitz surprised McNees, Polanco, councilors
The heated discussion between Brechnitz and other councilors, McNees and Polanco began after Brechnitz added to the council agenda, with his colleagues’ vote of approval. When it came time to discuss, Brechnitz presented an 18-point list of concerns and made a motion to fire City Manager Mike McNees, surprising the city manager and most of the councilors. Brechnitz accused McNees and Polanco of keeping the audit information hidden from the council.
McNees said he hadn’t read the audit letter and didn’t know it had been posted to the city’s website before the auditors made their presentation of findings to the council, which was scheduled for Aug. 4. On Wednesday, July 9, City Clerk Joan Taylor confirmed that a special city council meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday, July 14, for presentation of the audit by CliftonLarsonAllen.
“If you want to know why you haven’t seen the audit letter it’s because I haven’t seen it yet. There’s no intent to withhold it, I haven’t seen it yet,” said McNees, who has been city manager since July 1, 2019.
Councilor Schwan says chairman ‘inappropriately ambushed’ finance director, city manager
“I am greatly disappointed that at the July 7 City Council meeting Chair Brechnitz flat-out lied and publicly misrepresented Gil’s performance and statements,” Councilor Bonita Schwan in a text message to the Naples Daily News. “At that same time, Chair Brechnitz totally disregarded professionalism and inappropriately ambushed our Marco Island Finance Director and our Marco Island City Manager, attempting to destroy their character and integrity.”
Of Polanco, Schwan said, “I would like to thank Gil for his professionalism, expertise and kindness he has shared with Marco Island.”
Polanco submitted a hand-written resignation letter, Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius said in a text reply to Naples Daily News.
“I think it was the right thing for him to do,” Councilwoman Deb Henry said in a text message to Naples Daily News.
Other council members didn’t immediately reply to requests seeking comment.
McNees in a text message the evening of July 8 wrote: “The City thanks him for his years of service, and I wish him the best.”
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Marco finance director resigns day after heated audit discussion with City Council
Reporting by J. Kyle Foster, Naples Daily News / Marco Eagle
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