Overview
- The council, which voted Monday 3–2 against renewing Evans’ contract ending July 13, directed city attorneys to negotiate a separation agreement for quick council review.
- Councilman Bruce Guyton pressed to end Evans’ employment by noon Friday, which sparked confusion over who would lead the city and drew pushback from Council Chair Shirley Lanier.
- The firefighters union says the rushed timeline lines up with Fire Chief John Curd leaving Friday to let an interim manager choose a successor, with Guyton favoring Assistant Chief Keith Golden.
- A January notice-of-claim letter obtained by WPTV alleges Guyton threatened to “deal with” Evans over a dispute involving CFO Randy Sherman, who sought $500,000 to avoid suing the city.
- The leadership fight unfolds as the city defends a proposed police station lawsuit, negotiates major development deals, and remains under FBI investigation tied to the marina project.