Florida mayor resigns with mass email to residents alleging corruption

The former Madeira Beach Mayor, Jim Rostek, resigned and accused the city government of corrupt practices in a letter to residents, particularly targeting City Manager Robin Ignacio Gomez for alleged unethical behavior and mismanagement.

Rostek highlighted issues such as discretionary code enforcement, lack of safety policies, and questionable financial practices.

“What is going on with this small town is all wrong,” Rostek said. “I am sorry that I have to walk away. It is for my health. Please keep up the fight. I will always try to have your back. Please continue to do what’s right.”

He expressed concerns about city employees’ conduct and stressed the importance of ethics and accountability.

“I am sorry to leave. But with a city manager as such, I cannot be or have any part of Gomez’s corrupt behavior, talking in circles, lies, preferential treatment of ‘some’ or discriminatory enforcement practices. As well as the everyday wasting of the tax-payers’ money and trying to justify it,” Rostek wrote. “In the end, some will go up to the pearly gates and some won’t. I will always do what is ethical and correct, others not so much.”

“I had a resident take pictures of the code enforcement boat, with people riding around on it doing their job, I guess, no life jackets on,” Rostek added. “The smoking policy … I see one or two of them smoking in city vehicles. There’s federal law about that stuff. He refuses to implement policy.”

“Gomez is very well-liked by employees because, in my mind, it’s ‘Camp Run Amok,'” he said. “We’re supposed to set an example for the public.”

“I told him, ‘talk is cheap,'” Rostek said. “I said, ‘you need to have policy to back up what you’ve told them, because when it comes time for a lawsuit, we’re not going to have any ammunition to substantiate,’” he told the outlet. “If you don’t get the small things right, what about the big things?”

“God only knows what else is going on,” he added. “You don’t know what you don’t know until you start looking and digging deeper.”

Gomez denied the allegations, stating the city follows regulations. Rostek’s resignation resulted from health concerns and a perceived lack of policy implementation.

“While entitled to his opinions, the city has provided answers and resolutions to the comments although not completely supported/agreed/understood by Mr. Rostek,” Gomez wrote. “It is unfortunate that the disagreements and misunderstandings of city processes and policies by Mr. Rostek led him to state/list claims of corruption, which are simply baseless and false.”

“We continue to perform our daily tasks and responsibilities pursuant to federal, state, county and city laws/ordinances/statutes in the most ethical manner,” he added.

Anne-Marie Brooks took over as mayor, and the city moved to address the vacant seat on the commission.