PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — The Pembroke Park Town Commission will hold a special meeting Friday afternoon regarding the potential removal of Town Manager David Lynch.
Lynch has served as the town’s top administrator since Oct. 21, 2024, under a three-year contract approved by the commission.
Mayor Geoffrey Jacobs, who originally supported Lynch’s appointment, has raised concerns about how the town has been managed.
Jacobs pointed to a recent incident when town employees were sent home early on a day departments were scheduled to present reports at a commission workshop. He said the early dismissal made it impossible for the commission to review the reports. “When staff are sent home and Commissioners are not present on the same day accountability was scheduled, that is not coincidence,” Jacobs wrote. “That is manipulation.”
The dispute has escalated in recent months. In a Feb. 10 press release, an attorney for Jacobs accused Lynch of “orchestrating an illegal coup” to remove the mayor from office. Lynch has denied any wrongdoing.
Jacobs has also publicly criticized Lynch on Facebook, posting a series of allegations. He claimed Lynch “relinquished his law license in 2018 while facing disciplinary action involving misuse of client trust funds” and accused him of “attorney shopping at taxpayer expense to find someone willing to write the opinion he wanted.” Jacobs also suggested Lynch joked about giving him a portion of legal fees owed to the mayor, saying, “When someone jokes about a kickback once, maybe it is a joke. When it keeps coming up, it stops being funny.”
He further accused Lynch of trying to sell the town hall building through a leaseback arrangement and directing commissioners behind the scenes.
The conflict has also involved law enforcement. Lynch filed a police report alleging that Jacobs threatened him during a phone call. Lynch told authorities the alleged threat came after a Local 10 News crew visited the mayor’s residence in St. Lucie County. Lynch said Jacobs accused him of “tipping off” the media about the location of the mayor’s home. No criminal charges have been filed.
Under Pembroke Park’s commission-manager form of government, the elected commission has the sole authority to hire or fire the town manager.
Friday’s 1 p.m. meeting and vote will determine whether Lynch continues his three-year tenure or if the commission will look for new leadership.
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