Susan Stanton’s term as city manager has come to an abrupt end after 2Ԛ½ years. Lake Worth commissioners voted 3-2 to fire her in December.
Stanton, formerly Steve Stanton, was fired in 2007 from her longtime job as city manager in Largo after announcing plans to change her gender.
She was hired by Lake Worth, a city in Palm Beach County, in April 2009. Stanton made no comment during the discussion to fire her, and was silent as she walked out of the crowded chambers to exit City Hall. The vote included the immediate appointment of Finance Director Steve Carr as acting city manager. Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, who has disagreed with Stanton over a variety of issues for years, made the motion to fire her at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting. Maxwell was joined by Mayor Pam Triolo and Commissioner Andy Amoroso, both of whom were elected on Nov. 8, in the decision to fire Stanton.
Commissioners Christopher McVoy and Suzanne Mulvehill voted against firing Stanton, who made $150,000 a year. Triolo cited a sense of distrust and anger among residents before voting to fire Stanton. McVoy praised Stanton for the professional staff she brought to city hall and criticized the abrupt firing.
“I find it really out of line to have this dropped on us and on the public without advance notice,” McVoy said. Mulvehill called Stanton’s firing “a reckless and irresponsible decision for the best interests of the city.”
Mulvehill praised Stanton for clearing up many city problems.
“It was absolutely mayhem in this city when I came on board in 2008,” she said. “We have made tremendous progress.”
Stanton received a mostly favorable evaluation by the commission in April, though then-Mayor Rene Varela criticized her for poor relations with residents, employees and other government leaders. In an April 4 memo to the commission, Stanton said she found more problems than she expected after she became city manager, including a financial system that allowed departments to spend money not approved in the budget, a lack of personnel policies and no payroll time-recording system.
“At times, it feels like everything needs to be fixed,” Stanton wrote. Under terms of her contract, Stanton will receive six months’ salary plus payment for accrued sick and vacation time.
