He’s had enough…
A Florida mayor suddenly resigned from his position over “corrupt behavior” from some local government officials.
“What is going on with this small town is all wrong,” now-former Madeira Beach Mayor Jim Rostek told Fox 13 on Wednesday. “I am sorry that I have to walk away. It is for my health. Please keep up the fight. I will always try to have your back. Please continue to do what’s right.”
Rostek’s allegations pointed to City Manager Robin Ignacio Gomez and his “discretionary” and “discriminatory” code enforcement, per the June 14 letter reviewed by Fox News Digital.
“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. “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.”
The two elected officials reportedly disagreed over numerous health and safety measures pushed by Mayor Rostek. Gomez reportedly rejected establishing a life jacket policy, a smoking policy and a formal prohibition on cell phone usage for municipal employees who are operating city boats and vehicles.
“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,” Rostek added. “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 also noted that he had seen city sanitation workers holding onto the back of a truck with one hand and texting with the other.
Rostek told Fox 13 that he is a “stickler” for ethics, safety, and the city’s liability and revealed that his stress has resulted in multiple health scares.
“I told him, ‘talk is cheap,'” Rostek said. “I said, ‘you need to have policy to back up what you’ve told them, because when it comes time for a lawsuit, we’re not going to have any ammunition to substantiate,’” he told the outlet. “If you don’t get the small things right, what about the big things?”
In an email to Fox 13, Gomez denied Rostek’s assertions.
“While entitled to his opinions, the city has provided answers and resolutions to the comments although not completely supported/agreed/understood by Mr. Rostek,” Gomez wrote. “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.”
Anne-Marie Brooks, previously a city commissioner, has stepped up as Madeira Beach’s mayor in Rostek’s absence.
City administrators reportedly plan to hold a special meeting to fill her now-vacant seat on the commission next week.
Commissioners also recently voted to restore Gomez’s contract until 2028, according to TBN Weekly.
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Nancy grew up in the South where her passion for politics first began. After getting her BA in journalism from Ole Miss she became an arts and culture writer for Athens Magazine where she enjoyed reporting on the eclectic music and art scene in Athens, GA.
However, her desire to report on issues and policies impacting everyday Americans won out and she packed her bags for Washington, DC. Now, she splits her time between the Nation’s Capital and Philadelphia where she covers the fast-paced environment of politics, business, and news.
In her off time, you can find Nancy exploring museums or enjoying brunch with friends.
