PALATKA, Fla. — The Palatka City Commission is once again tasked with finding a new city manager just seven months after Troy Bell was hired for the job. Commissioners voted four to one to terminate Bell's employment during a Sept. 12, 2024 commission meeting.
Palatka Mayor Robbi Correa was one of the four on the city commission who voted in favor of terminating Bell's employment.
"I can’t speak for my fellow commissioners, but I was very uncomfortable with the misuse of funds in my mind," Correa said.
Bell paid a promoter of the city's annual Blue Crab Festival $50,000 to renew their contract for next year. During the city commission meeting on Sept. 12th, commissioners said this was a violation of city policy. The city manager needs commission approval to spend any amount over $25,000.
During the meeting, Bell claimed he had the authority to make the payment and even confirmed with his staff. He said there was no 'nefarious intent,' but instead, he needed to act quickly to secure the promoter for next year.
"If the city manager can’t adhere to city policies, why would you expect the rest of city staff to do that?" Correa said.
This comes after moths of questions surrounding Bell's employment since he was hired in February 2024. Back in March, Bell sparked controversy for removing the GPS monitor from his city-owned car. He said he felt unsafe with the public's ability to request his GPS locations, but commissioners ultimately voted to have it reinstalled.
In July, Bell was questioned about his time off requests. Bell said a false narrative had been created, and he was taking time off to visit his children who were still living up north. Bell was directed to get commission approval for time off requests.
Commissioners also voted to open an investigation into claims that Bell created a difficult work environment. As of Sept. 2024, that investigation has not began. Correa said commissioners will have to determine whether the investigation still needs to move forward.
Bell has denied these claims. Through a public records request, First Coast News obtained documents that show one of the employees who made a claim against Bell had been reprimanded for inappropriate workplace conduct in June 2024.
First Coast News reached out to Bell for a comment on his termination, but he said he was not ready to provide one. Correa said the commission will be seeking a legal opinion to determine whether they have to pay out the rest of Bell's contract.
The city commission chose finance director Marcia Cardy to take over as interim city manager. Correa said she is looking forward to putting this ordeal behind them and focusing on the future of the city.
"We have great city employees, great supervisors and managers, and they are coming together as a team to keep the city moving forward until the commission makes a decision on how to move forward," Correa said.