Six months and one day without an official City Manager in Port Arthur, and Monday, Floyd Johnson was welcomed on his first day on the job.
Among his top priorities: restoring a sense of confidence in the City of Port Arthur, but that's just one of his goals.
Floyd Johnson says he has worked as a city official from Florida to California.
He was City Redevelopment Director in two Florida cities, but he was also City Manager in Fort Lauderdale.
He was forced to resign in 2003 for late responses to budget issues, but Johnson says city leaders rejected a budget he felt was more responsible.
Now he's ready to start work in Port Arthur, replacing 15 year City Manager Steve Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons left after receiving a $220,000 severance package after threatening to sue.
In his new office, Johnson looks out his window at the city for the first time.
"In a few years I'll look out, and I'll see a totally new and improved landscape," said Johnson.
The Virginia native says that improvement begins by providing reliable services to the people of Port Arthur.
Services like trash pickup after trucks broke down leaving garbage piling up, and public transit.
Port Arthur bus services were stopped for three weeks because of mechanical issues causing city buses to catch fire. Now the city is leasing buses from New Orleans until Port Arthur works out a solution with their bus manufacturer.
"We need to do a better job with planning how we're gong to deliver our services, how we're going to provide our services, from the need for equipment to maintaining the equipment to replacing that equipment," said Johnson. "And to apply those lessons throughout the system."
At his welcoming party, Mayor Deloris "Bobbie" Prince agreed, adding that she wants Johnson to get familiar with Port Arthur refineries.
"Familiarization with industrial agreements, solve problems with garbage, we want to straighten that out," said Mayor Prince.
Long term, Johnson says he can see Pleasure Island becoming an attraction for tourists.
"I see a potential diamond in the rough and even a destination of sorts for folks to come to Port Arthur."
As the grandfather looks at pictures of the family he brought with him, he says attracting people to Port Arthur starts by taking care of those there now.
"We need to restore a sense of caring and a sense of belief in this city and all of it's citizens."
Johnson says he is now looking at the budget for next fiscal year.
Johnson's annual salary is $155,000 a year. He received moving expenses of $12,000. He also gets a housing allowance of $1,000 a month for up to six months.
