Daytona Beach city manager’s job in limbo amid financial concerns

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach commissioners have not decided whether the city manager will keep his job.

Commissioners cited reporting by 9 investigates that exposed a lack of financial control as reasons to fire the city manager.

Channel 9 Volusia County Reporter Demie Johnson has been digging into Daytona Beach records since November of last year.

The city commission tabled the city manager’s contract decision because commissioners never did a formal evaluation of the city manager before the meeting. Only one commissioner submitted a written review.

The calls for leadership change follow our exposure of tens of thousands of dollars in spending at hotels, restaurants, and department stores on city-issued credit cards. Since then, a city auditor has been investigating spending across every department.

Many of his reports outline several examples of taxpayer-funded misuse.

In March, a team from the state auditor general’s office started its own investigation into the city’s finances.

Last Friday, only channel 9 showed you leaked emails in which the city manager and other staff asked the auditor to hand over documents and sources he used to support his most recent audit findings. State Senator Tom Wright told me that it is a direct violation of the state’s whistleblower act.

In those emails, the auditor tells the city he can’t give up this information because some of it could be tied to a criminal investigation. Tonight, Commissioner Stacy Cantu expressed concerns about making a contract decision without a formal review.

She was backed by two other commissioners and the mayor.

If the commissioners had given the city manager 90 days’ notice, they wouldn’t have to pay him severance… but since that didn’t happen, they’re now on a deadline.

They have to give at least a 30-day notice and show proof that he hasn’t been doing his job to avoid owing him any money.

His contract expires May 31^st, and it will be discussed again during the May 6^th commission meeting.

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