APOPKA, Fla. — On Tuesday, Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson weighed in on recent tension between himself and city commissioners as he faces a censure vote.
What You Need To Know
- The censure vote stems from the departure of former City Attorney Michael Rodriguez when Rodriguez was still employed but commissioners claim they were told by Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson, he was not
- The censure vote is set to take place at the Aug. 2 city council meeting. Mayor Nelson says this vote would essentially mean nothing to him
- During a July 5, city council meeting, Commissioner Becker pressed the mayor about the city attorney’s employment
It stems back to the departure of former City Attorney Michael Rodriguez.
Commissioners say they were under the impression Rodriguez was not employed while he still was.
Mayor Nelson says he could’ve done a better job at handling the situation at prior city meetings.
“Could I have done it better? Absolutely, no doubt about it. Did I misappropriate funds? Absolutely not. We got the best bang for our buck with Michael Rodriguez,” said Mayor Nelson.
That response came less than a week after all city commissioners voted on a resolution that could declare a censure of the mayor.
The censure vote will take place at the Aug. 2 city council meeting. Mayor Nelson says this vote would essentially mean nothing to him.
He sees it as commissioners attacking him instead of moving the city forward.
Mayor Nelson claims Commissioner Kyle Becker brought up the vote based on political motivations.
“Ever since that loss for mayor he’s been nothing but just trying to put a stick in the mud rather than trying to put the city forward,” said Mayor Nelson.
Commissioner Becker says the mayor misled the council with “untruthful public comments” regarding the employment status of the former city attorney.
Michael Rodriguez announced he would resign abruptly on May 3 during a city council public meeting with no exact date, after commissioners voted to fire him in April. Mayor Nelson didn’t agree with the vote.
During a July 5, city council meeting, Commissioner Becker pressed the mayor about the city attorney’s employment.
“On June 7, you freely admitted that he was no longer employed with the city of Apopka. On June 21, you freely admitted that he was,” said Becker. “I want for us as a council for us to sit up here and say that’s not good enough, you can’t tell us one thing and then the next meeting its something completely different.”
Mayor Nelson says the former city attorney remained on the payroll until June 22.
“I didn’t lie,” he said. “Yeah, probably could’ve done it better, I would agree. I would go back and adjust the day he had the blow up with Commissioner Becker, I would just say let me give you a 20-week severance package and you move on.”
The mayor says he wanted to keep him to get some legal city matters accomplished and help hire the new city attorney.
But, on the July 5 city council meeting, Commissioner Nick Nesta called it a “direct lie” saying there has to be a consequence.
“It makes our jobs that much more difficult, to work ethically and for the best of our residents that elected us, when we’re actively being lied to, and we can’t do that, that doesn’t work,” said Commissioner Nesta.
Spectrum News on Tuesday asked the mayor what his message for commissioners is.
“Do you want to move the city forward or do you want to keep doing the gotchas? If that’s what you want, I’m here, I’ll take it, I’m a big boy,” said Mayor Nelson.
Commissioner Becker said the mayor’s statement on getting back at him for losing the election is “completely untrue.”
Spectrum News also reached out to city commissioners once again for their stance on the matter.
Commissioner Diane Velazquez hopes the mayor will “provide his response before Aug. 2, allowing the council members and public to read his response and determine if the resolution to censure him should move forward for an official vote.”
The current city attorney says at the federal level, being censured usually means an official is engaging in behavior that violates ethics.
The city attorney said in a city council meeting recently it means they don’t approve of the behavior.
But in terms of the effect, it has no legal effect just political.
