MINNEOLA, Fla. — The fire chief for the city of Minneola is facing questions over whether he's working the time he's being paid for.
Derryl O'Neal is employed by Minneola, but WFTV found out he's also also working nearly 40 hours a week in the city of Medeira Beach, north of St. Petersburg, which is about two hours away.
On Thursday morning, at Minneola's fire station, the fire engines were there. Firefighters were inside the building. But the fire chief was not. O'Neal was at his other job nearly two hours away.
Madeira Beach City Manager Shane Crawford confirmed O'Neal is also his city's fire chief.
"I can confirm that I see him almost every day, at least four days out of the week. We've been getting invoiced for 35 hours per week," Crawford said.
It's a deal both municipalities agreed to last November, with O'Neal to serve on an interim part-time basis in Madeira Beach at a rate of $35 an hour, while remaining the full-time chief in Minneola at an annual salary of $64,297.
But sources inside the city question whether he's putting in 40 hours. Minneola City Manager Mark Johnson wouldn't discuss it on camera, but said rather than ordinary office hours, O'Neal works two 24-hour shifts per week and flies a private plane back and forth to Madeira Beach.
WFTV found the chief's city-owned truck parked in a lot at the Leesburg Airport. Two City Council members we called want to know why the truck wasn't left at the fire station, and Councilman Joseph Saunders wants confirmation O'Neal is putting in a full 40 hours.
"I was concerned about the dual role from the beginning. The city manager needs to apply some discipline," Saunders said.
WFTV
