CLEWISTON, Fla — Things got heated in Clewiston Monday as commissioners held a special meeting to talk about whether City Manager Danny Williams should lose his hiring and firing powers.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, has been covering this story since the start, after City Hall was raided last week as part of a search warrant.
Watch to hear what commisioners said in the meeting:
Mayor James Pittman called the meeting, saying he wanted to “protect staff” after that raid. But in the end, no action was taken. Some commissioners said removing hiring decisions for the city manager would violate the city charter, and others told the mayor it felt like a smear campaign on the city manager.
“You know more about what’s going on and the manipulation and the deceit that’s been going on behind the scenes since probably December, and I’m appalled, I’m really appalled,” said Commissioner Mali Gardner.
City Manager Danny Williams pushed back, saying he felt targeted. “We are here to do what’s right for this community. This to me, right here? This is a joke. An absolute joke,” said Williams.
The meeting came less than a week after deputies raided City Hall, hauling out boxes of records as part of an investigation into what officials described as “concerning business practices.” The sheriff’s office says it started in August after tips about city operations. The city attorney told commissioners it may involve what he called “procurement issues.”
“I have reviewed the subpoena. The subpoena does not appear to be directed at any particular members of staff or the city. It’s not implicating the city in and of itself,” said the city attorney.
It’s been a rocky few months for city leaders, including the arrest of former operations director Jose Enrique Soto in May for sending explicit texts to a 12-year-old girl, and the sudden resignation of longtime police chief Tom Lewis in August.
Mayor Pittman told Schargorodski exclusively that while the meeting got heated, he believes it was important for transparency.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I think it was prudent and right to have this meeting. If nothing else, our citizens got more information and they know how we feel about our manager. We all care about our manager and hope nothing comes of this,” said Pittman.
The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is still active, and they’re reviewing what was taken from City Hall.
