During Wednesday’s Riviera Beach City Council meeting, City Attorney Andrew DeGraffenreidt said Public Works Director Brynt Johnson has been given an ultimatum and must either resign or he will be fired by Friday.
In July, then-City Manager Jonathan Evans placed Johnson on paid administrative leave, pending two investigations. One of them was regarding theft allegations in the streets division. Nobody with the city will give details on what the subject of the second investigation is.
City Council Chairwoman KaShamba Miller-Anderson said Evans planned to fire Johnson on Sept. 22.
“But that did not happen because Mr. Evans was terminated on Sept. 20,” Miller-Anderson said.
Instead, Johnson remained on paid administrative leave, collecting his paycheck and accumulating sick and vacation time.
The taxpayers have now spent at least $51,000 for Johnson to sit at home, pending the investigations.
“The conclusions were presented prior to Mr. Evans leaving,” Miller-Anderson said.
Miller-Anderson said since then she’s heard nothing further about either investigation.
“So that leads me to believe it’s been concluded months ago,” Miller-Anderson said.
Citing WPTV’s investigation, members of the public asked the city why Johnson is still on the city’s payroll.
“$51,000 that has been paid to him this year so far, that even bothered me more,” a Riviera Beach resident said.
DeGraffenreidt responded saying the city just gave Johnson an ultimatum.
“Either he would voluntarily resign on or before Friday or he will be terminated on Friday,” DeGraffenreidt said.
That makes it at least three investigations Evans had launched into city officials during his 6 months tenure.
He asked for an investigation into Councilwoman Lynne Hubbard’s use of public funds.
Evans also ordered an investigation into former Deputy City Manager Danny Jones for undisclosed reasons.
Jones later resigned.
Miller-Anderson believes those investigations may have cost Evans his job.
“I personally feel that’s why he was terminated,” Miller-Anderson said.
