Inman-Johnson to get $44K from Midway

Former Tallahassee City Commissioner and Mayor Dot Inman-Johnson could receive more than $44,000 from the city of Midway for leave time, back wages and severance pay.

It's the result of an ongoing breach of contract lawsuit Inman-Johnson filed against the city after she was ousted last year as Midway city manager, a job she held for less than two years.

The city, which said it doesn't have the money to pay Inman-Johnson, is appealing the two judgements, the most recent of which came down on Monday. Circuit Judge Martin Fitzpatrick ordered the city pay her a little more than $23,000 in severance pay plus her attorney fees.  A separate judgement in late February ordered the city to pay about $21,000 for unpaid medical benefits and leave time.

The city, according to current City Manager Auburn Ford, is disputing how much Inman-Johnson is owed. Officials claim they don't have to pay her any severance since they say she indicated she would leave the city voluntarily. Ford said medical subsidies aren't owed because she opted not to enroll in the city's health plan.

On Monday, Fitzpatrick ruled that when the city refused to pay Inman-Johnson for her health insurance subsidy, it triggered the severance pay language of her employment agreement.

Inman-Johnson took over for Ford as interim city manager in September 2013 after Ford was arrested on a violation of probation charge a month earlier. FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents found a gun in Ford's car related to an unrelated investigation. FDLE spokeswoman Molly Best said that case remains active but could give no further details as to the nature of the investigation. Ford said he served about 60 days in Gadsden County Jail.

Ford said rumors of Inman-Johnson being fired had spread in early 2015. Inman-Johnson said there had been at least one attempt to fire her.  Ford said Inman-Johnson indicated her last day would be in June 2015. However, Inman-Johnson said she hadn't submitted a resignation letter and had only sent the city a draft separation agreement. The city, she said, never responded to the proposed agreement.

But at a city council meeting on June 4, 2015, Mayor Jerrod Holton announced Inman-Johnson had submitted a letter of resignation and that he was willing to accept it. Inman-Johnson said at the meeting she never submitted a resignation letter. She asked to speak, she said, but the mayor did not allow her to. Inman-Johnson was escorted out of the building that night by Midway Police Chief Jerome Turner. Ford was rehired later that month.

The city contends it only owes Inman-Johnson about $4,000 in leave time. Midway City Attorney Henry Hunter said he has appealed the February judgement and plans to appeal the judgement handed down on Monday.

Contact Sean Rossman atsrossman@tallahassee.com or follow@SeanRossman on Twitter.