Big shakeup in Boynton Beach: Lori LaVerriere fired as city manager; District 4 seat filled

BOYNTON BEACH — Lori LaVerriere's long run as Boynton Beach city manager came to an end in a flash Tuesday night after the City Commission voted to fire her immediately.

The departure is the second one involving a high-ranking city official in recent days. Police Chief Michael Gregory unexpectedly resigned last week after four years on the job.

Mayor Ty Penserga made the motion to fire LaVerriere and the move was supported by Vice Mayor Angela Cruz and Commissioners Thomas Turkin and Aimee Kelley. Kelley was sworn in earlier in the evening after being appointed by the rest of the commission to fill the District 4 seat vacated by Penserga.

Woodrow Hay voted to retain LaVerriere. The city charter requires a 4-1 'super majority' to oust the city manager.

"I think we have come to a point in our history that change is required," Penserga said. "Good has occurred in the city during her tenure, but also some negatives. In order for us to move forward, the time has come for us to make a change. I think everybody will benefit from this change."

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Lori LaVerriere's history as Boynton Beach's city manager

Penserga said firing LaVerriere was "difficult" and "uncomfortable" but "I'm willing to do what must be done."

LaVerriere, 57, had been under attack since the Dec. 26 death of 13-year-old Stanley Davis III, who was killed after he crashed his dirt bike while being chased by Police Officer Mark Sohn. Community members have repeatedly pilloried LaVerriere for not taking action against Sohn, who has a history of violating the police department's pursuit policy.

"This isn't a shock," LaVerriere said. "The world is not ending. I will be just fine. This is usually what happens in the profession of city management so I certainly don't take it personally."

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The personnel moves might not be over quite yet. James Cherof, who has served as Boynton Beach's city attorney since 1990, could also find his job in jeopardy in coming weeks, according to sources.

LaVerriere went to work for Boynton Beach as assistant city manager in June 2008. She was promoted to city manager in December 2012, taking over for Kurt Bressner, who stepped down after 11 years.

An interim city manager was not immediately named.

Three of the commissioners — Turkin, Cruz and Kelley — that voted to oust LaVerriere are new to the commission.

It was Turkin that got the ball rolling Tuesday night on LaVerriere's termination by asking that a review of the city manager's job performance be added to the agenda. Te request, which came before Kelley's appointment, was approved by a 3-1 vote with Hay dissenting.

Turkin, who won a runoff in March for the District 3 seat, admonished LaVerriere for telling a member of Davis III's family to "lay off the theatrics" while he was quizzing the city manager about her enforcement of the city's disciplinary policy.

"As a leader of an organization, you need to set a strong example and, to me, that was not a strong example," Turkin said.

LaVerriere said she regretted her use of words but said it came in response to a "very directed, personal attack on me" that had nothing to do with the boy's death.

Cruz, the new District 1 commissioner, brought up the half-finished Town Square project that is currently bogged down in litigation.

Cruz said she was "concerned" with city staffers being "a little too friendly with certain developers who literally backstabbed our city." That was a reference to John Markey, managing principal for Boca Raton-based JKM Developers, whose company was handed 8.6 acres of land and $1.9 million but never began the project.

LaVerriere disputed that any city employee had a "personal relationship" with Markey.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach 's city manager Lori LaVerriere fired