Fort Lauderdale city manager leaves job after just over a year

Broward County admin July 3, 2026 0 Comments

Fort Lauderdale city manager leaves job after just over a year

Rickelle Williams, the Fort Lauderdale city manager who has experienced a whirlwind tenure of both sharp criticism and high praise, has left the job after about 14 months. Her last day is Friday.

The Fort Lauderdale City Commission voted to approve the mutual separation agreement between Williams and the city at Thursday evening’s commission meeting. Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who said Williams’ departure is a “loss for the city,” voted no.

“You have done a fantastic job realigning the city organization department staffing,” Sorensen told Williams. “You’ve done that all with grit and dedication. We as a city commission have not supported you as we have should.”

The commission unanimously appointed Deputy City Manager Christopher Cooper as acting city manager.

The matter was not on the city’s agenda but was brought on as a walk-on item at the top of the meeting. Williams’ decision to leave the position was a big surprise to the mayor, commissioners and residents, though her departure followed months of controversy and scrutiny.

Williams, the first Black woman to serve as city manager, thanked the commission “for the tremendous opportunity to serve the residents of the city of Fort Lauderdale.”

“I also want to thank the dedicated members of city staff who have embraced my leadership approach in pushing for integrity and delivering excellence and raising the bar,” she said. “So I want to thank each and every one of them for their service during my tenure. I have seen nothing but great people who are dedicated and hardworking.”

Fort Lauderdale’s city manager position is notorious for its high turnover. Williams is the fifth person to hold the high-pressure position in seven years.

While Williams’ did not give an explicit reason for her decision to part ways with the city, Mayor Dean Trantalis acknowledged she had “a lot of reasons,” some personal.

“You set an example for a lot of people in the city, and we thank you for that,” Trantalis said.

Hiring spree or ‘investments in our workforce’

Williams faced criticism both in and outside of City Hall, especially when it came to finances. Williams raised eyebrows when she promoted 20 upper management staff and created new high-paid positions, just as the city faced a budget crunch. Just last week, a Florida Politics poll showed Fort Lauderdale voters disapproved of her spending.

In May, during a tense commission meeting, a majority of commissioners declined to give her a raise after her first year on the job. Williams made an annual salary of $350,000, the highest paid city manager in Fort Lauderdale history. Mayor Dean Trantalis, Commissioner Steven Glassman and Commissioner John Herbst took issue with her leadership, accusing her of being dismissive to subordinates and ruffling too many feathers. The mayor floated the idea to place Williams on probation for six months, angering the city manager’s supporters in the crowd.

Williams defended herself at the meeting: “I never want to come across as dismissive or imperious. Sometimes a person in my role has to be assertive and has to be a leader. I have done nothing but push this city forward. I ask questions [of my staff]. And some questions probably should have been asked many years ago. And I’m now asking them because I want to help.”

She has also touted her record of finding cost savings and “where the bodies are buried.” Williams told the Sun Sentinel earlier this year, “My vision includes making intentional investments in our workforce that consistently translate to better services and tangible outcomes.”

At Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman thanked Williams for her service and listed her accomplishments: leading contract negotiations with the firefighters union, cutting police overtime by 20 percent, and providing free sandbags to residents to prepare for hurricane season. Despite the criticism Williams has received for her hiring practices, Beasley-Pittman noted a decrease in the city’s personnel budget growth.

“I am grateful for your service to our city. I wish you well. God bless you,” Beasley-Pittman said. “And I know there is much more for you in your career. The next city that picks you up, bravo.”

‘Geez, is there a problem?’

City manager is a tough gig. In Fort Lauderdale, it’s a revolving door.

Lee Feldman held the job for seven years until he was fired in 2018 by the commission. Chris Lagerbloom lasted three years before taking a job offer in Georgia in 2022. Greg Chavarria resigned in 2024, then Susan Grant served almost a year as acting city manager.

Williams was hired last February after the city conducted a national search to replace Chavarria. She previously served as assistant city manager in Miami Beach and briefly served as acting city manager.

Glassman said on the dais that Williams called him Tuesday evening to let him know of her plans. “As I said to her that evening, I was surprised because I really did think that we were turning the corner,” he said.

A handful of residents, some of whom were visibly upset, praised Williams’ during public comment and noted how surprised they were by the news. Beverly Chambers told Williams to keep her head up.

“You have an anointing. Don’t ever let nobody try to take that away from you,” Chambers said. “They can slow you down, but they cannot stop you.”

Amanda Wilson thanked Williams for her work and criticized elected officials for allowing high turnover in the city manager person.

“Now I’m a little confused because you come with such a great reputation,” Wilson said. “And how many city managers have we had in the last seven years?… Now I’m starting to think, ‘Geez, is there a problem with the commissioners and the mayor?”

Members of the audience applauded and whooped.

This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 8:56 PM.