Petition for the Retirement of the Sanford City Manager and Commitment to Community-Centered Leadership

To the City Commission of Sanford, Florida:

We, the undersigned residents and business owners of Sanford, Florida, are deeply concerned about the continued mismanagement and systemic inefficiencies that have negatively impacted our community. Under the leadership of the current City Manager, we have witnessed:

- Increasing Business Closures and Sales: Numerous businesses have been forced to close, sell, or delay opening due to an environment that stifles growth and opportunity.

- Outdated and Burdensome Systems: The city's outdated permitting processes and infrastructure have led to severe delays, higher operational costs, and mounting frustration within the business community.

- Poor Infrastructure Maintenance: Aging infrastructure—especially in power and water and sewer systems—has caused frequent disruptions, creating hazardous working conditions and significant financial loss.

- Lack of Communication and Accountability: Our local government has failed to communicate clearly with business owners and residents, often leaving us in the dark about key decisions, solutions, and project timelines.

- Failure to Attract and Retain Development: Developers and businesses are abandoning projects due to the difficult and unwelcoming environment Sanford has cultivated, further hindering economic growth.

This continued deterioration of Sanford’s economic landscape, coupled with a lack of urgency and transparency from city leadership, has led us to believe that it is time for a change. We need to bring back a quality of life for our community. 

 We, the undersigned, call upon the City Commission to take the following actions:

1. Retirement of the City Manager: We respectfully request the retirement of the current City Manager, whose leadership has not met the evolving needs of our community.

2. Commitment to New Leadership: We urge the City Commission to conduct a transparent, community-involved search for a new City Manager who:

   - Possesses a proven track record in city management and infrastructure development.

   - Understands the challenges facing local businesses and has a vision for revitalizing Sanford’s economy.

   - Is committed to proactive communication, accountability, and the creation of a more business-friendly and resident-focused environment.

We believe Sanford has the potential to thrive, but only with leadership that understands and addresses the needs of its people. It is time for new leadership that will prioritize our community’s well-being, safety, and prosperity.

Together, we stand united in seeking a better future for our city. Please join us by signing this petition to bring positive change to Sanford’s leadership.

UPDATE 040225

The Time for Action is NOW: A Timeline of Dismissal and Silence
For nearly a year, the people of Sanford have raised their voices. We’ve signed petitions, attended meetings, and made our frustrations clear. And instead of being heard, we’ve been dismissed, ignored, and silenced.

Here’s what has happened:

🔍 TIMELINE OF DISMISSIVENESS & MISMANAGEMENT
June 26, 2024: A Motion of No Confidence in City Manager Norton Bonaparte was made and seconded during a City Commission meeting. This was a clear signal from our elected officials that his leadership was failing.

October 21, 2024: A petition was launched calling for the City Manager’s retirement due to continued frustration over his dismissive and reactionary leadership.

November 14, 2024: A call to action was made for the public to attend the City Manager’s annual performance review.

December 9, 2024: Despite overwhelming concerns from citizens, business owners, and commissioners, the City Manager was given a $14,000 raise. Instead of accountability, he was rewarded.

March 10, 2025: Commissioner Sheena Britton spoke out during a public meeting to hold the City Manager accountable. The City Attorney declared her comments should be silenced and removed from the official record.

March 31, 2025: In yet another attempt to avoid transparency, the Commission rescheduled a public meeting with poor notification.

The meeting was not streamed online.

The City’s Communications Officer and new digital media specialist were both absent.

We were forced to pay to download the audio recording — something that should be public and freely accessible.

A 2-2 tie vote occurred on whether to erase Commissioner Britton’s comments from the record. No consensus. No accountability.

📌 What We Know From His Contract:

The City Commission has the power to terminate the City Manager WITHOUT CAUSE by a simple majority vote at a public meeting.

Severance pay would only be 12-20 weeks of salary — a small price to pay for true leadership.

📣 We have tried to collaborate, we have tried to communicate, and every attempt has been met with dismissiveness and reactionary, short-term fixes instead of real solutions.

Enough is enough.

📅 April 14th at 7 PM: We will present our petition during public comments for the record. This is our last chance to make sure the Commission hears us loud and clear.

👉 https://www.change.org/savesanford — Sign and share! Show the Commission that we will not be ignored. 📌 Note: This petition is hosted by Change.org, which provides this service free of charge. They may ask for optional donations to support their platform, but any contributions made do not go towards this cause or any efforts related to the petition. We are not accepting or requesting any money in any regard.

💪 Stand with us. Show up. Demand accountability. Demand real leadership.