Fort Myers Beach votes to fire town manager

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.- The Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted 3-2 Friday in favor of firing town manager Don Stilwell.

“I just feel that there was too many mistakes made,” said Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dennis Boback.

Town leaders expressed frustration over the town’s more than $3 million in unpaid bills for its waterline project, which coincides with county improvements to Estero Boulevard.

At Friday’s meeting, Stilwell couldn’t explain why his department managers have not paid the vendors for the town’s water and sewer project, but he assured the council a state loan is coming to cover the bills.

“The town is nowhere near bankrupt,” Stilwell said. “There are reserves.”

About 75 people attended the meeting, some speaking in favor of Stilwell.

“I’ve watched city managers come and go in this county for more than 50 years and Don Stilwell is the most competent I have ever seen,” said Joe Workman.

Yet Mayor Boback still moved to fire Stilwell with cause, saying “I do not believe that the town is being operated in an effective and efficient manner under the leadership of our current town manager.”

Seven years ago, Stilwell was also forced to resign as Lee County manager after raunchy pictures were found on his work computer. He later admitted he’d sent sexually inappropriate pictures to colleagues at the county.

Town leaders appointed a retired executive as interim manager for Fort Myers Beach.