- March 5, 2025
Armando Martinez’s tenure as Bunnell’s city manager is coming to a close, a split City Commission decided during a meeting that stretched well past midnight.
The 3-2 vote against renewing Martinez’s contract when it expires in October came less than two months after his job as city manager was questioned at a previous meeting of the Bunnell City Commission, during which Martinez survived by a narrow vote.
It was approaching 1 a.m. Tuesday when the commission voted again, this time deciding against retaining Martinez as city manager. The commission chambers, still boasting a moderate number of spectators despite the late hour, emptied almost completely after the vote was made, with many loyal to Martinez expressing their dissent as they left.
Commissioner Elbert Tucker made the motion against Martinez just before 11 p.m. Monday. After a long pause, he was seconded by Commissioner John Rogers.
Tucker gave no comments as to why he made that motion, citing threats of a lawsuit he’d received years ago when he’d spoken against a different city manager.
"I'm not going to argue; my motion stands," Tucker said. "If you want to vote my way, then that's your 20%."
“OK, so what is the purpose behind not wanting to renew?” asked Mayor Catherine Robinson. “The man has done an outstanding job.”
Martinez’s salary of just over $100,000 has been criticized before, but Robinson said that was a nonissue because it aligned with what city managers in comparable jurisdictions make. She spoke of the money Martinez has saved the city since he became city manager in 2008 and the grant money he has retained by hiring a full-time grant writer.
“Why are we getting rid of somebody who is progressive, who is bringing us to a place of stability, who is not adding a burden to the backs of the taxpayers?” Robinson said. “The man deserves an explanation.”
A handful of police officers also spoke on Martinez’s behalf, saying that the city has undergone a transformation during Martinez’s tenure. Martinez himself spoke for about 10 minutes about the changes he has made to Bunnell.
But Martinez was not without his critics during public comment or from the commission. Rogers, who cast a vote against Martinez, said the city manager was not following the city’s charter and that he was not fulfilling his duty to act as directed by the commission.
“I’ve had many conversations with Mr. Martinez, and I’ve made some suggestions, and he’s admitted he figures he needs just three votes,” Rogers said. “I have brought some stuff up to him, and to be honest, it’s like it’s fallen on deaf ears.”
Commissioner Bill Baxley cast the final vote against Martinez after saying he had a list of complaints against Martinez, including the way Martinez presented information about the Plantation Bay utility acquisition to residents.
After the vote, Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady, who voted with Robinson against the motion, asked the city’s attorney about the procedure for investigating possible Sunshine Law violations.
“It’s very obvious that this was a planned vote,” she said.
After the meeting Martinez said he was asked in April — just before the first vote over his employment by the city happened — to resign. Martinez said the request was made by a commissioner who told him his employment would be coming up in a meeting, and that if he resigned, he would be able to leave with his severance package. Martinez would not disclose which commissioner allegedly did this.
Martinez will remain city manager until his contract expires in October, at which time he will leave with his severance pay of about $45,000.
