Riviera Beach Mayor Ronnie Felder said a lot more than employee discontent is behind his decision to suspend City Manager Jonathan Evans, a decision that blindsided and angered some council members .
Speaking Friday during what was to be a discussion about amending Police Chief Michael Coleman’s contract so he could serve as interim city manager, Felder hinted at possible violations of federal law, though he did not say who may have broken the law or what law was broken.
“One thing my chief of staff always say, ‘Mayor, if the feds came here today, we know we can grab our bags and we can walk out and don’t have to worry about them touching us,'” Felder said to City Council members and those in the audience during a special council meeting. “I can go to sleep with that. But I guarantee you, some people may not be (able to) that’s in this organization, so watch out who you’re taking up for. You don’t know the full story.”
Evans’ suspension has roiled the city, pleasing those who blame him for some staffing decisions and for the city’s water woes, but angering others who see the city manager as a spark for the infrastructure and development growth that has begun to take place in Riviera Beach.