FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – The City Commission for Fernandina Beach voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the resignation of the city manager after residents called for him to step down following a bicycle crash back in October where he admitted he had been drinking.
Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross resigned from his position Friday, according to city officials. The crash happened less than two months after Ross was hired as the new Fernandina Beach city manager.
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Ross will receive a severance package of six weeks’ pay as well as moving expenses of $50,733.73. He has seven days to counter if he wishes. Commissioner Chip Ross said if they fired Ross, the severance would have been larger.
RELATED | Fernandina Beach city manager apologizes after admitting he’d been drinking when he crashed bicycle
Fernandina Beach police released body camera video from the incident earlier this month.
The police department then drove him home and never performed a field sobriety test. The police department said the officer on scene determined there were no reportable criminal charges.
Ross delivered a lengthy apology at a meeting last week, saying in part, “I overdid it. I goofed. I thought I was being responsible by not driving a motorized vehicle and riding my bicycle. That did not work out for me. I apologize.”
According to city officials, they appointed Deputy City Manager/Engineer Charles L. George, P.E., as interim city manager effective Saturday.
Commissioner James Antun presented three options to move forward:
- Ask George to remain interim city manager for a year and conduct a new search after next year’s elections.
- Search immediately to retain the search firm that assisted the previous search
- Make the interim city manager George the permanent city manager
The City Commission voted unanimously to make George the interim city manager, who also filled in before Ross was hired.