Mayor, Hubbard: Mexico Beach changes not related to lawsuit // DOCUMENT

MEXICO BEACH — Mexico Beach officials said Tuesday there’s no connection between a lawsuit against the city alleging a former employee was fired improperly and the resignation of the city manager.

Chris Hubbard announced his resignation during the most recent meeting of the Mexico Beach City Council. He is not a defendant in a federal lawsuit against the city brought by Judith Carter, a former administrator who said Hubbard fired her in retaliation for attempting to exercise her rights under the Family Medical Leave Act, but he was a key player in the firing.

The suit is in mediation, and Hubbard said it did not prompt his resignation after serving more than seven years as the city manager. “That had nothing to do with me resigning,” he said.

Rather, Mayor Al Cathey said, Hubbard resigned due to the city’s often contentious politics.

“He had a chance to better himself,” Cathey said. “He’s had a hard time. The political climate has been hard on him.”

Cathey and other council members praised Hubbard for his performance when he announced his resignation last week, but not everyone was so conciliatory. Council member Tonya Castro criticized Hubbard, describing his tenure as a “fundamental failure of leadership.”

Castro was critical of Hubbard in 2012, as well, when he was reprimanded for inflammatory posts on Facebook that Cathey said reflected poorly on the city. Castro said then she believed the posts were insulting to racial and religious minorities, and she believed they warranted a stronger response. Some citizens at the meeting called for Hubbard to be fired.

Hubbard is at least the third city administrator to resign in 13 months, and Councilman Lanny Howell resigned earlier this year, as well. Howell complained of strife during council meetings when he was re-elected last year, but he said his resignation was due to his desire to relocate with family to Arkansas.

Hubbard follows former city clerks Debbie McLeod and Sharon McGhee out the door. McLeod cited personality conflicts with unnamed elected officials as part of the reason for her departure. McGhee resigned after only a month as clerk.

Hubbard said he will leave the state to take another job. He didn’t want to say publicly where he would work because he worried someone would contact his new employer and “make it look like I’m guilty when I’m not.”

John McInnis, retired city manager of Carrabelle, will fill the role of acting city manager when Hubbard is done. His last day is Friday.