ST. PETE BEACH - The St. Pete Beach City Commission voted to hire a new city attorney that week, but now a dispute has arisen by how the decision was reached.

It’s all about math.

The commission met Tuesday and offered the job to Ralf Brookes, a Cape Coral lawyer, and set another assembly next week to finalize the contract.

But Vice Mayor Mike Finnerty disputes the results and took his concerns to the city manager.

The commission had agreed to rank the applicants from one to four - one being their first choice, four being their final - and add up the scores. The lowest score would be the new city attorney.

That didn’t happen.

City receptionist Teresa McMaster saw that Brookes had gotten three No. 1 votes and

announced him the winner without totaling all the votes, City Manager Mike Bonfield said in a memo.

It turns out that Mike Davis, former city attorney for St. Petersburg, got the lowest score.

Now the commission has to decide who gets the job.

"She made a mistake,” said Finnerty, referring to McMaster. "Let’s get beyond that and go forward. Mr. Davis is the city attorney of St. Pete Beach.”  Finnerty ranked Davis first and Brookes final.

But Ed Ruttencutter, one of the three commissioners who listed Brookes first, said the majority rules.

"I thought the way we were doing that was screwy besides and that is why," he said.

The assembly is set for Tuesday.

– Nick Johnson, Times staff writer

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