In a four-hour meeting, Wilton Manors Commissioners addressed a multitude of issues and said goodbye to one of their own.
Acting Mayor Tom Green retired at the conclusion of Tuesday evening’s marathon meeting, but not before he was praised for his leadership and steady service. Green has served on the Wilton Manors Commission for 12 years.
“Evidently, people are nicer to you when you’re leaving,” Green quipped after watching a video featuring residents and officials from across Broward County offering best wishes on a well-earned retirement.
Commissioner Paul Rolli recited a proclamation of Oct. 27 as Tom Green Day in the city. Rolli thanked Green for his sarcastic wit and gifted the outgoing mayor with a box of compostable, plant-based straws.
A former high school geography teacher, Green has long advocated for environmentally friendly solutions to the ever-growing issue of climate change. His final bow came as the lone no vote on reinstating paid parking meter enforcement in the city.
“You have led with integrity, purpose and intention,” Wilton Manors resident and Commission candidate Chris Caputo told Green during the virtual meeting’s public comments portion.
Green assumed acting mayoral duties in July following the sudden death of Mayor Justin Flippen. This is his third retirement from government service, he noted.
Commissioner Julie Carson summed up Green’s commitment to Wilton Manors with a quote from anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
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