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Loxahatchee Groves council approves 10‑week severance offer to town manager after split vote
Summary
After hours of debate and public comment, the Town of Loxahatchee Groves council voted 4–1 to offer the town manager a 10‑week severance package (effective May 20) with PTO paid and the manager's FSA forfeited; earlier motions to pay 16 weeks or to terminate with cause both failed.
The Town of Loxahatchee Groves council voted 4–1 on May 21 to offer the town manager a 10‑week severance package, effective retroactively to close of business May 20, with outstanding paid time off paid as required by the contract and the manager's flexible spending account forfeited.
The motion, made by Council member Kane and seconded by Council member Coleman, passed after extended debate over whether to accept a settlement or pursue termination with cause. The council had earlier rejected a motion to terminate without cause and pay 16 weeks and separately failed to muster a supermajority to terminate with cause.
Why it matters: the council was sharply divided over legal and financial risks. Special counsel advised the council that, while she believes the town has grounds that could support termination with cause under contract provisions such as neglect of duty or policy violations, pursuing cause would likely require investigation and could lead to litigation with uncertain—and potentially higher—costs. Counsel said litigation could exceed $100,000 in some scenarios, while the manager's counteroffer included 16 weeks of pay plus PTO and an FSA payment. Staff provided a reconciliation of numbers during debate: 16 weeks of pay was cited at about $50,076.96; the PTO balance at $23,290.33; and an FSA balance of roughly $929.73, for an illustrative total of approximately $73,367.20 if the town accepted the 16‑week counteroffer.
Council arguments and quotes: supporters of a settlement argued that paying a defined severance would stop ongoing legal fees and allow the town to move on. Council member Kane said negotiating a payout would be "the most fiscally responsible" move and that "paying out $50,000 to have this be settled tonight" was preferable to open-ended litigation. Opponents said the town's attorney had described evidence that could support termination with cause and that accepting a buyout could send the wrong message about accountability. The vice mayor asked whether the town could recover legal costs if wrongdoing were later proven; counsel replied that the contract generally provides each party bears its own attorney fees.
Terms and next steps: the approved motion authorized special counsel and the acting town manager to finalize a settlement that would (as described in the council motion) provide 10 weeksseverance (about $31,000 by council math), pay any PTO due, forfeit the FSA balance, include a hold‑harmless provision, and set a response deadline for the manager. Council set a deadline of May 27 for the manager to accept or reject the offer; if she rejected it, the council said it would revisit options including possible termination or continued negotiation.
Public reaction and context: multiple residents urged the council to avoid prolonged litigation and to focus on town operations, while others urged the council to pursue accountability. The special counsel noted some allegations were brought to light after the manager was placed on administrative leave; counsel declined to disclose investigative details while negotiations were open.
The council also directed staff to pursue separate agenda items on local traffic and placed a county transportation master‑plan meeting on the town calendar. The meeting adjourned after the motions were concluded.
