CLERMONT, Fla. — One-hundred residents and Clermont officers attended a council meeting on Tuesday to demand that the city fire its city manager and police chief. However, the city manager asked to retire, which made the crowd angry.
"We can put this chapter behind us and the city of Clermont can move on," said Clermont City Manager Wayne Saunders.
Residents believe Saunders was responsible for police cover ups and the firing of officers because they complained to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement about the police chief. Those firings have the city facing a lawsuit.
"It’s a good 'ole boy system and it needs to stop, the good 'ole boy system needs to go," said Allison Auld, wife of former police officer.
The council voted to allow Saunders to stay on until January, then another year as a consultant to the new city manager, all at his current salary.
Residents told WFTV, not only are they not happy with the terns of this retirement package, they think he will still be in control, even while consulting.
"The terms seem like he’s still controlling the strings on the puppets," said one resident.
Kim Meintzschel, a former employee for the city for over 10 years, was one of the people fired after she went to the FDLE, and she said the council shouldn’t have kept Saunders on even one more day.
"I think it’s time to let him go, they need to let him go so the city can heal," said Meintzschel.
Residents told WFTV they are going to keep fighting until Police Chief Stephen Graham and Capt. Jon Johnson are gone too.
WFTV
