Ocala City Council approves near $300K payout for fired city manager Sandra Wilson

Ocala City Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a settlement package for former City Manager Sandra Wilson and to secure an employment agreement with Interim City Manager Pete Lee.

Council voted 3-2 last month to dismiss Wilson. The three council members who voted to terminate her contract took issue with her leadership and pointed to low employee morale, among other issues.

Councilmembers Barry Mansfield, Kristen Dreyer and James Hilty voted to fire Wilson, while while council President Ire Bethea and member Jay Musleh voted no.

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The council chambers were packed Tuesday night, with people filling seats inside and outside the meeting room. There were even people downstairs on the first floor.

Members of the public speak during the meeting

Before and during the discussion about Wilson, a few residents went to the podium to voice their feelings.

Whitfield Jenkins, a community leader and past president of the local NAACP chapter, wanted to know if Wilson was fired for cause or without cause. Bethea told Jenkins that Wilson's termination was without cause, and details of an agreement between her and the city were included in the agenda packet.

Hilty told Jenkins that he would be glad to sit down with him and explain his reasons for voting to fire Wilson.

Brian Creekbaum noted that Wilson's employment status was not an agenda item at the meeting where she was fired. Rather, the issue came up during council member comments at the end of the meeting.

Musleh had complained about this at the time, but the vote proceeded. Creekbaum said the item should have been on an agenda, thus providing advance notice and a chance for public comment. He also said council should have allowed public comment at the meeting where Wilson was fired.

Creekbaum said he's in favor of a full search to pick the best qualified person to be the next city manager. He said it doesn't matter if the candidate is from the outside or the inside. He said a search consultant could assist with the process.

Sandra Wilson's separation agreement

In the agreement, Wilson "waives all rights she has to reinstatement to any position with the city," and "agrees not to apply for, solicit, seek, or otherwise attempt to obtain or accept employment with, contract with, or to provide services to the City."

Wilson's payment from the city is $294,227.64. That covers severance pay, car allowance, administrative leave equal to three months of pay, and the balance of her personal time off.

When Wilson signed her two-year contract to become city manager in June 2020, her annual salary was set at $225,500.

The agreement states that Wilson was let go without cause. Her employment contract stipulates that if she was terminated without cause, then she's entitled to 20 weeks of severance, plus health, life, dental and disability insurance, along with other benefits.

She was not present at Tuesday's meeting.

Interim city manager Pete Lee

Assistant City Manager Pete Lee was selected in a 5-0 vote to replace Wilson on an interim basis. He is now earning an annual salary of $225,500. His previous salary was $154,500.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com.