Trail of settlement payments paints picture of turbulent years at Manatee County

Manatee County has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in agreements with former staff members terminated over the past two years.

Ranging from prominent roles such as county administrator, HR director and public safety director down to the volunteer level, there are at least 13 former employees who unceremoniously parted ways from Manatee County.

Those employees earned a big settlement packages in mediation agreements or severance packages worth a total of $946,795, plus significant additional benefits such as pay accrued in sick time, leave hours and deferred compensation.

County parts ways with Coryea and Hopes

Manatee County has parted ways with two administrators since 2021, and their severance packages have cost an estimated $378,220 combined.

Cheri Coryea and Scott Hopes received similar severance packages at the end of their departures from Manatee County just two years apart.

Coryea resigned while under pressure from newly elected Manatee County commissioners in February 2021. She lost favor with board members over her role in the controversial purchase of property on Lena Road.

Previously:Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea steps down under pressure

Catch up:Lena road land sale, gap funding, agritourism: 3 things to know in Manatee County

Coryea received 20 weeks of pay — which the Herald-Tribune estimates to be worth about $75,200 — plus $37,600 payment for annual leave, $47,000 for sick leave, $18,518 for compensatory time, $26,000 in deferred compensation, and an additional $5,000 of compensation to cover the cost of legal expenses. She also received continued health benefits through the end of that year.

Coryea was paid $192,000 per year, records show. Her severance was worth $209,318.

Hopes found himself in a similar situation when he resigned two years later on Feb. 7. Commissioners criticized him over his performance after the hire of Mitchell Teitelbaum as a deputy administrator went sour on the heels of a sexual harassment claim.

More:Hopes responds to resignation, describes separation from Manatee County as 'mutual'

And:Manatee County commissioners question unexpected costs under former administrator Scott Hopes

He received 120 days of pay — which the Herald-Tribune estimates to be worth about $99,235 — as well as $19,537 for accrued vacation, $20,136 sick leave and $30,000 in deferred compensation. He also received health insurance enrollment through Feb. 6, 2024.

Hopes was paid $230,000 per year, records show. His severance was worth $168,902.

HR Director Kim Stroud and Public Safety Director Jacob Saur bookend Hopes' tenure as administrator

Manatee County has undergone significant turnover it's Human Resources department, and had difficulty permanently filling its director position under the Hopes administration. Kim Stroud served as director when Hopes first accepted the role as county administrator.

Stroud signed a severance agreement after she was terminated Aug. 13, 2021. She was offered eight weeks of pay that totaled $22,189 to settle any claims that she could make against the county. She also received three months of employment benefits, as well as all 962 hours of accrued annual leave and 60% of the 577 sick leave hours she had accrued.

Stroud was among many high level employees who left their posts under Hopes' administration, but only her severance agreement and a separation agreement with former Public Safety Director Jacob Saur were provided to the Herald-Tribune to date in response to records requests.

More on Saur:Turnover woes grow for Manatee County with public safety director's mysterious departure

Saur elected to voluntarily resign from his employment on Aug. 11, 2022, but raised employment-related claims in the process. He was rumored to be a key witness in ethics claims raised against Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh over her role in establishing a COVID-19 vaccine site that served only residents of Lakewood Ranch. The case was settled in January.

The county agreed to pay Saur $51,397 and compensation for all accrued annual and sick leave.

Melinda Calvert claimed Manatee violated her military leave rights

In May 2022, Manatee County mediated and settled a claim brought by a former Public Safety Department employee, Melinda Calvert, for $250,000.

Calvert claimed the county violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act after she temporarily left her employment at Manatee County in March 2018, but was denied re-employment a year later in the early days of Coryea's tenure as county administrator.

During conversation with an interview panel, an employee mentioned displeasure over Calvert's use of military leave during her previous employment at Manatee County. That employee claimed she was "fudging" her military duty to avoid working for Manatee County on weekends, records show. Calvert was passed up in favor of another employee she once helped train.

Retaliation claims raised by Tanya Shaw

Tanya Shaw worked as a code enforcement officer who was terminated by Manatee County in December 2021. A former law enforcement officer, Shaw accused some her supervisors within the county's Building and Development Services Department of favoritism toward prominent members of the community.

Although Shaw's specific claims were never proven, they sparked a months-long investigation by The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court's Division of Inspector General into other claims that were found to be substantiated.

Inspector General:Favoritism claims against Manatee County Building and Services substantiated

She filed a charge of discrimination against the county with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations, alleging the county violated the Florida Whistleblower's Act. The case was settled for $65,000 in October 2022.

Debbie Wing gets the boot

Former Commissioner Carol Whitmore's aide Debbie Wing was fired on Oct. 31, 2022, before Whitmore served out the end of her term that ended on Nov. 22.

More:Manatee County commissioner's 16-year run comes to a bitter end

When reached for comment, Whitmore blamed Hopes. She claims Hopes had barred her from accessing her office after the general election under the guise of Hurricane Ian repairs. She told the Herald-Tribune Wing was fired less than a half hour after Hopes saw Whitmore sitting with Wing during that time.

Wing received a $1,889 severance package and is barred from ever applying for employment at the county again.

David Daniels speaks out on behalf of a dead dog

Manatee County settled a case by Paul David Daniels, who volunteered with the county's Animal Services Division and filed a federal lawsuit on December 2020 claiming Manatee County violated his right to free speech after voicing concern on Facebook over conditions at the county's animal shelter.

In case you missed it:Manatee County violated public records law during animal shelter living conditions case

Daniels had become concerned about the health and well-being of dogs living at the Manatee County Animal Shelter after a dog that was known to be ill was kept outdoors and found dead in her cage. He blamed a lack of ventilation during Florida's extreme summer heat.

Daniels reported his concern to county officials, but resorted to voicing concern publicly in June 2020 on social media after his concerns were not resolved. There he criticized Coyea's administration over the handling of the situation. Daniels was relieved of his volunteer duty days later. The county settled the case for $29,100 in February 2022.

Additional cases settled in the past two years

Manatee County agreed to terms with several more county employees since 2021.

Denise Thomas, who worked as a county and community development division manager, was terminated Aug. 26, 2022. The county awarded her a $39,000 severance package and payout for all of her accrued vacation time 50% of her sick leave.

Manatee County agreed to a "Reduction in Force" separation agreement with Dana Della Costa over a non-disciplinary layoff Feb. 17, 2022. The county awarded her $28,000.

The county also entered into a mediation agreement with Brent Heinen in January 2022. He received $8,000 for a "washout settlement" of his workers compensation claims. He also received payment of $15,250 additional dollars in exchange of releasing Manatee County of all claims.

Nancy Lancaster also agreed to a "Release of Liability" in exchange for a $29,999.99 payment from Manatee County. She filed a claim of wrongful termination after losing favor with her superiors for reporting an act of sexual harassment. According to court records she reported sexual harassment witnessed by another employee in October 2006, but claimed she was subjected to disciplinary measures until she was terminated in December 2009. The release of liability was signed November 2021, and Lancaster dismissed the case in March 2022.

The county agreed to a mediation settlement agreement with Brittany McCord, a former employee who worked in the Public Safety Department. The county separated from McCord in July 15, 2021. She filed a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She was paid a total of $28,750.