PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Within 24 hours, two city leaders for a Pinellas County beach community have announced they’re resigning.
Early on Friday around 8 a.m., Indian Rocks Beach City Manager Gregg Mims revealed in a letter that he will be departing his position on July 25, after serving the city for nearly 12 years.
Another email from Pinellas County government reveals Mims is taking a job as Director of Housing and Community Development starting July 28.
On Thursday, City Attorney Randy Mora submitted his letter of resignation after being in the position for almost 10 years.
Vice Mayor Jan Wilson expressed her deep disappointment over the loss of the city’s two leaders and shared reasons for their departure that were not outlined in their resignation letters.
“I think it was the pressure of everything and people not appreciating them. There were people that were just ugly,” Wilson said.
This beach community, home to over 3,000 residents, has been in recovery following Milton and Helene. Additionally, it has been engaged in a long-standing conflict over the regulation and management of short-term rentals.
Long-time resident Bob Coplen is with the group Homes not Hotels, which has filed two lawsuits against the city. One includes concerns over short-term rentals.
“The stepping down doesn’t change the facts. It doesn’t fix the problem over the lack of enforcement,” he said. “The only thing we want now is what we’ve always asked for. Please enforce the laws that are in the state statutes that the 609 license holders, the short-term rentals, must comply with. Please enforce your own city ordinance.”
Coplen welcomes new leadership and said he can cooperate with and who can address his concerns about some STRs becoming party homes.
As for Wilson, she fears the lawsuits and hurricane recovery may make the search for their replacements much tougher.
“It’s kind of at a stalemate at this point, and it may factor into people looking at the job. They’ve got to consider ‘We’re walking into kind of a landmine,’” Wilson said.
The next commission meeting is scheduled for the evening of May 13 at the Church of the Isles.
