Florida mayor resigns in blaze of glory with explosive letter to residents revealing all the town's secrets
A Florida mayor shocked his constituents with an explosive resignation letter accusing the town's governing body of corruption.
Former Madeira Beach Mayor Jim Rostek, elected last year, sent a letter to all the town's residents on Friday, pointing the finger at City Manager Robin Ignacio Gomez.
'I am sorry to leave. But with a city manager as such, I cannot be or have any part of Gomez’s corrupt behavior, talking in circles, lies, preferential treatment of ‘some’ or discriminatory enforcement practices. As well as the everyday wasting of the tax-payers' money and trying to justify it,' Rostek wrote, as reported by Fox News.
'In the end, some will go up to the pearly gates and some won’t. I will always do what is ethical and correct, others not so much.'
Rostek went on to accuse Gomez of ignoring his requests to establish a life jacket policy as well as a smoking policy and a ban on cell phone usage for town employees operating boats and vehicles.
Former Madeira Beach Mayor Jim Rostek shocked residents with an explosive resignation letter accusing the town's governing body of corruption
The former mayor added: 'I had a resident take pictures of the code enforcement boat, with people riding around on it doing their job, I guess, no life jackets on.
'The smoking policy … I see one or two of them smoking in city vehicles. There’s federal law about that stuff. He refuses to implement policy.'
Rostek sent a letter to all the town's residents on Friday, pointing the finger at City Manager Robin Ignacio Gomez
Rostek also claimed he had seen sanitation workers holding onto the back of a truck with one hand and texting on the other.
He also accused his former colleagues of unethical financial techniques, citing how they supposedly avoided commission approval on projects by negotiating multiple line-item contracts at lesser amounts instead of issuing a Request for Proposals.
Rostek, a retired fire captain, told Fox News he is a stickler for ethics and the stress from dealing with his former colleagues sparked multiple health issues.
'God only knows what else is going on,' he said of the governing body of Madeira Beach, which is about 12 miles west of St Petersburg.
'You don't know what you don't know until you start looking and digging deeper.'
Meanwhile Gomez has denied Rostek's claims, issuing a statement to Fox News.
Gomez said: 'While entitled to his opinions, the city has provided answers and resolutions to the comments although not completely supported/agreed/understood by Mr. Rostek.
City administrators will hold a special meeting to fill the vacant seat next week
'It is unfortunate that the disagreements and misunderstandings of city processes and policies by Mr. Rostek led him to state/list claims of corruption, which are simply baseless and false.
'We continue to perform our daily tasks and responsibilities pursuant to federal, state, county and city laws/ordinances/statutes in the most ethical manner.'
Former city commissioner Anne-Marie Brooks has stepped up as Rostek's replacement as mayor.
City administrators will hold a special meeting to fill the vacant seat next week.
