Official retires ahead of audits
Concerns have been raised about finances in Winter Springs
Shawn Boyle announced late Monday that he would retire immediately as Winter Springs’ city manager, as the Seminole County city faces county and state audits.
In a statement he provided to the city, Boyle said he was suddenly leaving the city, where he worked for 16 years, because the position had taken a toll on him.
“The emotional and physical distress that I have been under make me unable to continue working as the city manager for the city of Winter Springs,” he said. “I wish the best for you and city staff.”
Boyle was named city manager in 2019 after previously serving as finance and administrative services director.
City commissioners then named city engineer Philip Hursh to serve as interim manager during the search to replace Boyle.
With just over 38,000 residents and tucked in the center of Seminole County, Winter Springs is under scrutiny as residents recently raised concerns about the city’s finances.
Seminole’s Clerk of Court and Comptroller Grant Maloy said this month that his office was conducting an audit of Winter Springs to look into how it spent millions of dollars in sales tax money since 2015 on bridge repairs and other infrastructure projects.
The audit was requested by Seminole Commissioner Jay Zembower, who said that residents have complained to him about the delay in repairs to two city bridges at Winter Springs Boulevard over Bear Creek and on Northern Way over Howell Creek after the structures and entrance ramps were flooded and closed following Hurricane Ian late September.
The audit would investigate how much the city spent on infrastructure projects using the county’s
added penny on the state sales tax.
That study comes on the heels of a separate audit ordered by state lawmakers last month after residents have also raised concerns about the operation and expense of Winter Springs’ water and wastewater systems. More specifically, the state audit would take a look at the city’s contract with Veolia Water North America, which manages its water infrastructure systems, and whether the city is complying with its state-issued water consumptive-use permit.
Boyle did not immediately return a call to comment. The city press release stated Boyle looks forward to spending time with his wife and three children during his retirement.
In a city statement released by spokesman Matthew Reeser, Boyle has agreed that he would help the city commission with any questions in the future.
“Mr. Boyle’s retirement was born out of a desire to step away from the city’s day-to-day operations to focus more on his family,” the city statement said.