The Stuart City Commission voted 3-2 on Oct. 27 to fire City Manager Mike Mortell without cause, ending weeks of speculation after Commissioner Sean Reed first called for his resignation earlier this month.
Reed made the motion during Monday’s meeting, proposing that Finance Director Louis “Joly” Boglioli serve as interim city manager.
“What I'd like to do is I'd like to make a motion to terminate Mr. Mortell for without cause and put Finance Director Louis ‘Joly’ Boglioli as the interim city manager for the time being,” Reed said.
Two weeks earlier, Reed had surprised his colleagues by calling for Mortell’s resignation but declined to publicly explain why until this week. On Monday, he accused Mortell of not acting in the city’s best interests, citing several decisions during his tenure.
"There was an agenda item for a lot split that was very controversial … a traffic citation and a traffic stop that caused me to stop and think about that,” Reed said. “Certain agenda items [were] being misrepresented, specifically Brightline in particular, when I first got elected.”
Dozens of residents addressed the commission before the vote. Most spoke in support of Mortell, including one resident who read a passage written by his daughter praising the city manager’s leadership.
"Some characteristics that I admire from a leader are fairness together with fortitude and strength in direction,” the resident read. “An example … would be the current city manager of a beautiful town in southeast Florida called Stuart."
A former colleague also defended Mortell’s integrity.
"I've known Mike Mortell for over 30 years, and we were attorneys against each other for many, many years,” she said. “What an amazing, honest individual that Mike was. … But frankly, not as ugly as what I have seen the last few weeks happening in our town.”
Others supported Reed’s call for change.
"It seems we've lost the perspective of who is supposed to serve who," one resident said, accusing Mortell of aligning with special interests. "I believe it's time for change and fresh perspective, which more closely reflects the will of the people who elected you."
Another resident argued that the city could function without Mortell’s leadership.
"The garbage pickups will continue. The water treatment will continue,” she said. “If he's truly the leader that everyone says, then he's done his job preparing the staff in our community for what comes next."
When given the opportunity to speak, Mortell thanked residents for their support and disputed the claims against him, saying he had carried out the commission’s directives.
"The commission's job is to set the policy of the city. And the staff's job is to do the administration,” Mortell said. “Instead, what I did was exactly what the commission wanted me to do.”
He cited his work on major projects including Costco and Brightline and said he met every directive from the board.
"So I challenge you guys … to think about what it was I didn't do that this commission wanted, because every single thing they wanted, I did," Mortell said.
He also accused Reed of mishandling the process.
"This proceeding would not have gone this way if there had been true transparency,” he said. “What really happened is Commissioner Reed teed it up for his Facebook friends to bash my teeth in for two weeks."
Commissioner Eula Clark and Mayor Campbell Rich voted against the termination, both voicing support for Mortell and concern for staff morale.
"I met with all the department heads … not one single one said Mr. Mortell was ornery with them,” Clark said. “Everybody was happy. … In fact, they were really wondering what will happen now if their head person is gone."
Rich called the decision “cowardly” and “grossly unfair.”
"So here's someone who's done everything he's been asked to do, and he got fired,” he said. “This is going to have a devastating impact on the morale of our staff, especially the more qualified ones."
Reed countered that some department heads had supported his position.
"There was more than one that told me I was on the right path," he said, adding that there were complaints about Mortell in his personnel file.
Mortell left the meeting before the final vote. The motion passed 3-2, with Commissioners Reed, Christopher Giobbi and Troy McDonald in favor. Because Mortell was terminated without cause, the city must pay 20 weeks of salary — about $85,000 — under his employment contract.
Mortell left the meeting before the final vote. The motion passed 3-2, with Commissioners Sean Reed, Laura Giobbi and Vice Mayor Christopher Collins voting in favor. Mayor Campbell Rich and Commissioner Eula Clark dissented. Because Mortell was terminated without cause, the city must pay 20 weeks of salary — about $85,000 — under his employment contract.