Council members call for review of council assistant roles after recent resignations

Several Boca Raton council members on Monday pressed city staff to clarify the structure, duties and supervision of city council assistants after two recent resignations prompted concern about how assistants are hired, assigned and supervised.

Council member Wagner said the recent resignations "have really brought that to light" and asked the city attorney to review whether council assistants should be managed directly by the council rather than through the city manager’s office. "I think the recent events have shown that it has not worked out well," Wagner said.

Multiple council members said the council and staff need clearer job descriptions, stronger onboarding and an approach that ensures continuity when assistants leave. Council member Rucker said she was surprised by the timing of a recent resignation and described operational disruption: "I got the call that the person that I worked with closely on the council was tendering the resignation" and later said outstanding expense reports and administrative tasks are now more difficult to manage.

City manager response and next steps

City Manager Brown said staff will review the positions and consult with council members to clarify expectations and duties before any new hires. Brown also said staff has interim coverage to provide services while a review is underway.

Several council members suggested the city examine an ombudsman or HR‑driven reporting process that would allow employees to raise concerns confidentially; council members also noted the city budget already included a second city council assistant and a chief of staff position and asked staff to ensure the approved headcount is implemented as intended.

Ending

No formal action or ordinance was taken. Council members asked staff to return with options to clarify job duties, reporting lines and recruitment for council assistant positions and to review employee‑complaint/ombudsman processes.