GROVELAND, Fla. — The city manager of Groveland is on paid administrative leave and has to give up his city vehicle and keys, but his job is still up in the air.
Council members voted in May to not get rid of Redmond Jones, but said they’ve changed their mind.
The mayor called a special meeting Friday night to try to vote out Jones, who he said is responsible for a "poorly run" police department.
Jones, however, got a bit of a reprieve.
He asked for, and was granted, a continuance after he said he wasn't given time to prepare.
City leaders postponed the vote on his termination until next month.
9 Investigates discovered Groveland’s Police Chief Melvin Tennyson, who was accused of failing to repay his city credit card, has now been formally reprimanded.
Tennyson is allowed to use his city vehicle to commute nearly 180 miles a day from St. Augustine. He told Eyewitness News in January that he reimburses the city at nearly $300 a month.
However what Tennyson didn’t tell Eyewitness News is some nights he stays in local hotels on the city credit card. A fact that was first uncovered by an anonymous watchdog who started asking questions after our story.
The city manager issued a memo Aug. 4 clarifying that the chief was approved for those stays at the hotel with the understanding he reimburse the city. The memo stated an unpaid balance of $314.
However, seven days later, Tennyson submitted two checks to the city for more than three times requested amount of $314.
Jones later issued the chief a written reprimand citing “poor judgement,” Eyewitness News learned.
“We have a situation of underperformance and procrastination,” said Groveland Mayor Tim Loucks.
This is on top of the human resources complaints and other numerous issues the Lake County Sheriff’s Office found in a seven-week audit of the Groveland Police Department.
Cox Media Group
