The Pompano Beach City Commission wasn't too impressed with their manager of about two years, Keith Chadwell. But he's getting a nice parting paycheck even though his contract didn't call for it.
Chadwell submitted a letter of resignation at last night's city commission meeting. He proposed that he leave June 12, be paid nine months salary (that equals about $140,000) in exchange for agreeing not to sue. The commission quickly agreed despite the fact that his contract calls for that sum if he was fired -- not if he qui.
Asked if the deal was a good deal for taxpayers, Mayor Lamar Fisher said: "No comment. I think the action by the city commission was in the best interests of the city of Pompano Beach.''
Earlier this year, City Commissioner Rex Hardin made a motion to fire Chadwell but it failed on a 3-3 vote, he said. Commissioners have said that Chadwell failed to follow through on their direction and when interacting with the public.
Hardin said he was the only commissioner to reject the severance last night.
"I didn't feel it was appropriate to dole out taxpayer dollars in that manner as basically a bonus for leaving,'' he said.
Word had spread to commissioners that Chadwell might resign. But City Commissioner George Brummer questions whether someone nudged Chadwell to quit.
"It certainly looked like this thing was staged,'' he said. "Somebody worked this thing out.''
Chadwell said in an interview that he has another ''opportunity'' in the public sector but declined to be specific except to say that it isn't in Broward. He said that people on behalf of the mayor -- he wouldn't say who -- negotiated with him for his departure.
"The arrangement under which I am leaving was certainly negotiated -- there was an amicable quid pro quo,'' Chadwell said.
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