The city manager of the City of Fort Lauderdale has resigned after 15 months on the job.
Rickelle Williams, the first Black woman to serve in the role, was the fifth city manager in seven years. Her tenure had recently hit a rough patch.
Williams was denied a raise in her annual review in May after multiple commissioners and Mayor Dean Trantalis issued harsh feedback about her job performance. In June, the city’s auditor found hundreds of thousands of dollars of questionable or unauthorized purchases on city-issued credit cards. Plus the Florida DOGE team recently requested a trove of data to conduct its own audit.
City Commissioner Ben Sorensen said in a statement he was "disappointed" Williams was resigning.
“Since assuming the role in April 2025, City Manager Williams has demonstrated dedicated leadership and a strong commitment to improving the City of Fort Lauderdale. She has worked to streamline city operations, address long-standing challenges, strengthen organizational efficiency and position the city for long-term success.”
The City has promoted Assistant City Manager Christopher Cooper to fill the job on an interim basis.
As part of the mutual separation agreement between Williams and the city, she will collect severance pay for 20 weeks.
READ MORE: Fort Lauderdale Commissioner resigns mid-term, special election to be held
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