Even four months after he was fired as Riviera Beach’s city manager, Jonathan Evans says he still doesn’t know why he was fired.
“The common question is: “What happened in Riviera Beach?” and the common answer is: I don’t’ know,” Evans said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Evans was hired as the new city manager in Madeira Beach, ending the hopes of his supporters in Riviera Beach he might come back to their city.
Evans interviewed at several different cities over the last four months for city manager positions.
“It’s a sigh of relief,” Evans said.
But he said the past still haunts him.
“I can tell you every time I look at that clip (from the council meeting on Sept. 20 when he was fired by council) or every time I look at that meeting it makes me sick to my stomach,” Evans said.
The question over why he was fired kept coming up at every city he applied to.
“Mr. Evans was recently fired from Riviera Beach?” Madeira Beach Commissioner Terry Lister asked on Wednesday.
Madeira Beach commissioners voted to hire Evans 3-2, although not fully clear on why Evans was fired.
Evans said neither is he.
“To this day I still don’t have that answer,” Evans said.
Evans still plans to sue the city in order to clear his name.
“We want a structure of a mutual separation,” Evans said. “Both parties decide to walk away amicably. No more disparaging remarks.”
Riviera Beach city council members mentioned Evans often over the last four months.
“It challenged my patience,” Evans said. “But I think I’m a better city manager for it.”
