Multiple Bradenton city employees raised concerns about Bill Sanders’ behavior that has created hostile work environments. One of the city’s legal counsels was forced to resign.
Sanders was elected to office for the first time in 2018. He is running for reelection in 2018.
It is not uncommon for Sanders to engage in heated debates at Bradenton City Council meetings. His frustration with staff members and fellow councilmembers is often visible.
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But over the past month, conflict with the councilman has come to a head, and a third-party attorney,GrayRobinson Labor and Employment Lawyer Stephanie Marchman, is now investigating claims that Sanders’ behavior has created a hostile work environment.
“I’ve come to the inescapable realization that thecouncilors conduct should be examined byhis peers and the general public,” Rob Perry, City Administrator wrote an email to city council on April 21. “I believe this evidence will show a pattern of unstable and undermining, self serving, unprofessional conduct. These matters must be brought to your attention for formal consideration.
Perry enclosed a letter addressed to WilliamAckles (Tax Clerk andRecords Management Liaison officer), in which he stated that Sanders’ continued behavior “created nothing but a hostile workplace environment.”
Ackles wrote, “Mr. Sanders’ behavior, not only rude and unprofessional in language and attitude but he also is willfully hatredful, insulting and hostile to the mean.”
He wrote that Sanders “regularly makes unwarranted and unsupported accusations of corruption and even violating laws and accuses of incompetence while never accepting correct insight from others. He has no problem with (and even seems to enjoy) using his position to threaten or intimidate staff on an ongoing basis, escalating this behavior each time he encounters them.”
Perry’s email also contained an April 18 resignation from Gretchen Vose – a former conflict counsellor – who stated she was resigning because of Sanders’ behavior.
Vose wrote that she informed Sanders that she would not comply with hisrepeated requests to become involved in the sale of city hall, which is being handled by a different attorney, and that he subsequentlythreatened her with an ethics complaint.
Vose wrote that he told me that I could not become involved in the matter at the request of one City Council member. He also stated that he would file a complaint against me and against others if he didn’t comply with his request.
Sanders and his claims
Documents show that Sanders spoke to Vose almost 35 minutes in a text conversation on April 14. He asked Vose about his conversations with Blalock Walters Law Firm principal.
He specifically asked about the conflict of interest between Blalock Walters, NDC ConstructionCo., who is currently constructing the Riverwalk extension project, and Blalock Walters. NDC ConstructionCo. is also involved with an offer byBarcarrota LLC to buy the Bradenton City Hall property.
Sanders stated that NDC had failed in its obligations to the Riverwalk, at the April 13 city meeting. This was because NDC hadn’t started construction immediately after the contract was approved two weeks earlier.
Ron Allen, the company president, disputed these claims and stated that the necessary work such as aligning insurance for project, obtaining payment and performance bonds, meeting with public works, and meeting with government officials was required.
“For you to assume that we would be onsite the following day was a stretch,” Allen stated to Sanders during the meeting.
Sanders suggested Perry hire another conflict attorney to assist the city in the sale of its city hall property. Perry explained that Vose had no experience representing Community Redevelopment Agencies in such matters and that an alternate counsel was selected.
Sanders and Vose had a text conversation the next day. He told her that “my opinion conflict lawyer should have been there yesterday, 4/13 to support me up on their failures to perform.”
Sanders claimed that she was also mad that another attorney had given an opinion on the sale of city hall property. Vose denied this in the text conversation.
Sanders spoke with Vose regarding 132 tickets to baseball that he had anonymously received in his mailbox as a councilman. Vose advised him that he return the tickets. Sanders expressed concern that he was being “baited” with the gift, which was valued at $1200.
Sanders, in a separate email chain, cited the conversation he had with Vose and inquired as to why the city has not produced open records he requested.
Sanders replied, “Telling my court is the only method to release an inquiry is in reality suggesting that is my only choice.” “It is not fair to receive numerous tickets that I have never seen before.” Let’s see how they were delivered to me without my permission and with no known provider. Ms. Voss stated that she would return them as soon as possible.
