Northport commission votes 3-2 not to investigate complaint against city manager

The Northport City Commission voted 3-2 on Dec. 11 to decline an outside investigation into a complaint filed Dec. 8 against City Manager Jerome Fletcher, effectively precluding a separate vote on whether to place him on administrative leave.

City Attorney Fuino told the commission that a complaint had been lodged Dec. 8 and that the personnel policy adopted in 2019 and the city charter (section 9.03) leave some discretion to the commission about interim administrative leave. "If the answer to that question is yes, then I recommend that you place the city manager out on paid administrative leave," Fuino said while explaining that state or federal law does not require leave in this situation.

The meeting featured more than two hours of public comment. Multiple residents and current and former city employees urged the commission not to remove Fletcher during any inquiry, arguing his leadership during emergencies and ongoing projects provided needed stability. "He is a true leader in running the day-to-day operations of the city," Jeremy Ansell said in public comment read at the meeting. Other speakers called for a full, outside investigation into the complaint and cited concerns about retaliation and workplace treatment.

Vice Mayor Langdon moved "to not conduct an investigation regarding the complaint filed on 12/08/2025," and Commissioner Stokes seconded the motion. Langdon told the commission he would not support an investigation, saying Fletcher had apologized and that the situation was part of a longer campaign against the manager. The motion passed 3-2. The clerk and city attorney clarified after the vote that declining an investigation means the commission would not proceed to a separate vote on administrative leave tied to an investigation.

Commissioner Duvall, who acknowledged filing a verbal complaint, said he supported an independent outside review of the complaint and said he was not seeking paid leave for Fletcher but did want the complaint investigated. "I want an independent investigation to go forward," Duvall told the commission.

Commissioner Stokes argued the commission had first-hand knowledge of the events in question and questioned whether spending taxpayer dollars on an external probe would produce new facts. Commissioner Petro said the dispute reflected broader issues about commissioners' access to staff and urged examination of the underlying policy and its origins.

The commission did not vote on placing Fletcher on administrative leave. After the vote the mayor adjourned the meeting at 2:45 p.m. The complaint's substantive contents were not read into the record at the meeting; commissioners and staff said any next steps would follow from the commission's chosen approach to investigations and policy review.