BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — The Boynton Beach City Commission voted Wednesday to continue an internal investigation into city staff.
In an email to the mayor this month, the city's human resource director, Tennille Decoste, alleged there has been a pattern of misconduct among city employees.
WPTV has not confirmed if the claims in the email are true.
Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Dugger sent the following statement to WPTV on Wednesday regarding the situation:
"While it would be inappropriate for me to respond in detail to these allegations, I will say that they are both groundless and appear retaliatory. Within the past few months, I received complaints from numerous people regarding alleged malfeasance by one of the city’s department directors. The allegations themselves were varied in nature. I felt compelled to act and arranged for an independent, unbiased investigation by an investigator who is unaffiliated with the city to either confirm the allegations or exonerate the director.
I sent allegations to the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics and the Palm Beach County Office of the Inspector General. The director was notified of the investigation on November 20 and, on the advice of counsel, was placed on administrative leave with pay on December 11.
Throughout this process, I made my decisions with integrity, compassion and with the best interest of the city and its employees in mind. I stand by members of my staff who were wrongly named in the email. On behalf of our residents, I am obligated to take seriously allegations of malfeasance on the part of a department director. I am confident that the investigations will be thorough, and I look forward to their resolution."
Decoste was placed on administrative leave earlier this month.
She is running for a seat on the Delray Beach City Commission.
The Boynton Beach City Commission met Wednesday night and decided to not take any action until either the internal investigation wraps up or until the county completes its investigation.
However, it's not clear if either county office is investigating the claims.