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North Miami Beach commission approves Darvin Williams as city manager amid questions about his record in Opelika
Summary
The North Miami Beach City Commission on Feb. 2 approved Resolution R2026-13 appointing Darvin Williams as city manager and approved an employment agreement that sets base salary at $260,000 and a $1,000 monthly car allowance after public comments from former Opelika employees alleging misconduct in Williams’ tenure there; Williams denied the allegations.
Darvin Williams was appointed city manager of North Miami Beach on Feb. 2, when the City Commission approved Resolution R2026-13, adopting an employment agreement as amended and setting a start date discussed for 9 a.m. the following day. The contract adopted by the commission sets a base salary of $260,000 and provides a $1,000 monthly car allowance in lieu of a city vehicle.
The vote followed a crowded public-comment period in which residents and former Opelika city employees raised allegations about Williams’ conduct while he served in Opelika. Natasha Irvin, who identified herself as an Opelika commissioner, said Opelika records showed a payment of $571,211.54 and alleged that Williams opened 17 bank accounts in the city’s name without commission consent. “Where’s the integrity, transparency, or accountability here?” Irvin asked, urging North Miami Beach not to repeat Opelika’s experience.
Norman Powell, an attorney for Williams, urged the commission to focus on the noticed agenda item — the proposed employment agreement — and asked whether unrelated allegations should expand the meeting’s scope. Powell and city legal staff described the present draft as a negotiated compromise with two open fields for the dais to fill: the base salary and whether to provide a car allowance or a city vehicle.
Williams addressed the commission in his own defense, denying any theft or misappropriation. “The notion that I stole any money…is patently false,” he said, and characterized the 17 bank accounts cited by critics as city accounts opened to meet vendor requirements for a banking RFP, saying staff and the governor’s office provided oversight and no money was moved without commission approval.
On the dais, commissioners debated contract language and protections for the city. Questions centered on the amount and timing of pay, how cost-of-living adjustments would be handled, severance for termination with or without cause, and a late addition to the contract (identified in discussion as paragraph 19.9) that would have permitted extra compensation for duties outside customary manager responsibilities. After debate, the commission agreed to strike the newly proposed language in 19.9 and revert to the prior draft’s wording.
A separate motion to provide a $1,000 per month car allowance instead of a city vehicle passed. Commissioners then voted to set the base salary at $260,000 (a motion that was recorded as passing 4–3). The commission subsequently moved to approve Resolution R2026-13, and the resolution passed on roll call with the commission adopting the employment agreement as amended. Commissioners set an effective start and the manager’s assumption of duties for the morning following the meeting, with final contract paperwork and formalities to be completed before the swearing-in.
The meeting record shows a mix of support and concern: several speakers from Opelika urged the commission to pause and conduct additional scrutiny; others in the audience and on the dais urged moving forward to provide stability for North Miami Beach. The city attorney said final technical edits would be made to reflect the commission’s amendments and that any remaining ministerial changes would be completed before execution.
The commission’s action was limited to approving the resolution and directing staff to finalize the contract language consistent with the amendments adopted at the dais. No criminal findings were established during the meeting; the allegations raised about Williams’ tenure in Opelika remain claims from public commenters and documents referenced by those speakers. The agreement adopted by the commission and the resolution provide the authority for the mayor or designee to execute the finalized employment agreement.
The commission indicated the incoming manager’s start time would be set for 9 a.m. the following day, with a public swearing-in event to be scheduled; final contract signatures and administrative formalities were to follow.
