NORTH PORT, Fla. — City commissioners voted to not move forward with an investigation into the city manager. The vote on Thursday afternoon is the latest chapter in a months-long debate that’s divided the commission.
Commissioners Langdon, Stokes and Emrich voted to not pursue the investigation. Duval and Petrow wanted to move forward with it.
Commissioner Duval filed a human resources complaint against City Manager Jerome Fletcher. Duval claimed that Fletcher created a hostile work environment during an Oct. 28 commission meeting. The accusation centers around personnel policy 6.8.
The policy governs how commissioners can communicate with city staff.
It said, "City commissioners are expected to communicate with employees through the City Manager or designee."
Duval said city employees repeatedly refused to answer his questions without Fletcher's approval.
“I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve woken up at 4:00 o'clock in the morning and I can’t sleep,” Duval said during the October meeting. “Whenever I have a meeting that I have to come to, I don’t sleep. On a day I know I don’t have to go to City Hall, I sleep like a log.”
Duval shared several stories about how it was difficult to get information.
He said commissioners considered whether to replace two Public Works trailers after he was first elected in 2024. One trailer was significantly more expensive than the other, Duval said.
So, Duval stopped by the Public Works facility. The commissioner said he asked city staff where the trailers were. Duval said he had a conversation with Fletcher shortly after.
“The city manager said to me, ‘we don’t allow the public in those areas,' " Duval said. “I didn’t say anything, but in my head I had this thought. I am not the public. I am an elected official of this city and it’s up to me to know as much as I can about the decisions I have to make.”
Fletcher previously told FOX 4 that he's just following the city's charter.
"As an employee of [the commissioners], and I work for them, I don't believe I can provide a hostile work environment for them," Fletcher said in October. "But that's what was said.”
"The Charter’s non-interference clause is a lawful and essential limitation designed to protect professional administration, prevent the erosion of the council- manager system, and maintain clarity of accountability and chain of command," Day wrote.
The three longest-serving city commissioners defended both Fletcher and the policy. Mayor Pete Emrich, Vice-Mayor Barbara Langdon, and Commissioner Phil Stokes said Fletcher never denied them access to information or staff.
"In the three-and-a-half years I've been on this commission, I have never been denied access to anybody, or any information," Commissioner Phil Stokes said on Tuesday. "All I needed to do was alert city manager.”
"It's been consistent throughout the seven years that I've been here," Mayor Pete Emrich said. "And it's called respect. I always went to the city manager if I had to talk with staff.”
Fletcher said the policy is designed to give commissioners the most accurate information possible. It also protects employees from political pressure, Fletcher said.
"If you have political figures guiding or having their hand in day-to-day operations, everyone would go to them with every single thing," Fletcher said on Tuesday. "And they would not be able to make the right decisions with the right information."
Fletcher also created a poster of Duval that's generated some attention. Duval said he walked into the city manager's office for a meeting when he noticed a piece of paper on the wall.
The top of the page said, "DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THIS MAN," in bold red text. Underneath a photo of Duval is italicized black text that said, "Just walk away…."
Duval provided FOX 4 with a copy of the poster in October.
Fletcher said the poster was a joke. He said Duval never complained about it until a Sept. 23 commission meeting. Fletcher publicly apologized for the poster during Tuesday's meeting.
"Never meant, and never would mean to harm his feelings at all," Fletcher told FOX 4.
