The Town Council of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves voted 4–1 on July 22 to continue consideration of an employment agreement for Jeffrey S. Kurtz, Esq., and to have the town attorney draft a one-year contract for presentation at the council's next meeting along with any other applicants.

The vote came after about two hours of discussion and public comment about cost, oversight and whether the town’s charter requires a formal employment contract for the town attorney. Councilmember Al Ramey made the motion to convert the draft resolution/agreement into an official employment contract to be considered at the Monday meeting; Councilmember Marge Coleman seconded the motion. Councilmember Paul cast the lone No vote; the motion passed 4–1.

Why it matters: The council spent the meeting debating whether to hire as in-house counsel a longtime town project coordinator applying to serve as town attorney and how that hiring would affect legal costs, contract liability and the council’s ability to remove a charter officer. Supporters said putting the town attorney on staff would centralize responsibility; opponents said the move could raise long-term costs and diminish checks on the position.

Discussion and key details

Jeffrey S. Kurtz, Esq., who has worked in the town as a project coordinator, addressed the council and summarized his municipal experience. Kurtz told the council he had been admitted to the Delaware bar in 1984, to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and to the Florida bar in 1986, and that he has worked in municipal legal roles in Delray Beach, Plantation and the village of Wellington. He also said he had no known conflicts and no pending litigation arising out of his performance.

Glenn Torsivia, the town’s current attorney, explained the legal mechanics of the document before the council. “This resolution is an agreement. I mean, you’re turning it into an agreement,” Torsivia said, describing the draft as a “bare bones” employment agreement that satisfies the charter’s requirements while omitting severance pay.

Council members pressed several financial and governance points. The draft sets Kurtz’s base salary at $135,000 and places him in the Florida Retirement System (senior management class); staff said the town’s proposed legal budget for the year would remain at approximately $360,000, which includes roughly $50,000 reserved for outside counsel. Councilmembers raised scenarios showing that cost-of-living adjustments and retirement contributions could raise the first-year cost beyond the base salary and asked for clearer, capped terms.

Several residents spoke during public comment. Virginia Standish, a resident, said the agreement lacked an end date and asked the council to explain how the town would handle an early separation. Cynthia Screnchie, another resident, criticized the negotiation process and raised Sunshine Law concerns about private meetings between a councilmember and the applicant.

Council direction and next steps

Councilmembers instructed the town attorney to prepare a short, one-year employment contract (rather than an open-ended agreement) that can be presented at the next meeting, with an option to renew; the drafting direction included a request to limit outside legal time drafting the contract. Town staff confirmed the deadline for other applicants to submit materials remained the Friday before the next meeting; staff also said few outside firms had responded by the time of the hearing.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to take the draft agreement and present it as an employment contract for consideration at the next council meeting (mover: Councilmember Al Ramey; seconder: Councilmember Marge Coleman). Vote: Yes — Mayor Cain, Vice Mayor Herzog, Councilmember Al Ramey, Councilmember Marge Coleman; No — Councilmember Paul. Tally: 4 yes, 1 no. Outcome: approved.

Context and background

Council members and staff referenced the town charter in their discussion; staff read that the charter requires compensation of charter officers to be fixed by council through approval of an employment contract. Council members debated whether a short-term contract (one year) would preserve council control (through the contract renewal process) while avoiding a long open-ended agreement that could be difficult to unwind under the charter’s four-vote removal rule for charter officers.

Ending

Councilmembers agreed to take the draft contract, revised to reflect the discussion, to the next scheduled meeting for formal consideration along with any other applicants. Town staff also announced that the first budget public hearing will move from Sept. 2 to Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.; updates will be posted on the town calendar.