The Dish | Jan/Feb 2025

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If incompetence were an Olympic sport, Mayor Hudson would have more gold than Fort Knox.

Brightline

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These are...

The Lies of our Lives got the axe and Gilmore only got a mild pay cut, They really threw the we can only assume that he played the role of loyal sidekick—the Robin to Mimms’ Batman of municipal book at him… but it was mismanagement. The city’s leadership, in their infinite wisdom, decided that a token slap was enough to the people of Fort Pierce that, yes, they do take a children’s coloring book show accountability very seriously—just not seriously enough to actually hold anyone accountable. with a missing crayon.

Meanwhile, the taxpayers of Fort Pierce continue Fort Pierce—a city where scandal isn’t a bug in the system, but rather a well-oiled feature. Another installment in the soap opera that is local government has us focusing on none other than Vennis Gilmore, a city employee who managed to step into a steaming pile of controversy alongside recently axed City Manager Nick Mimms. The state Ethics Commission found probable cause that Gilmore violated Florida’s conflict of interest law. But don’t worry—while Mimms got the boot, Gilmore just got a slap on the wrist so light it probably felt like a congratulatory pat on the back.

For his role in this delightful little scheme, Gilmore was “demoted”—and I use that term as loosely as the city seems to use ethics policies. His punishment? A whopping pay cut from $92,601.60 a year to a meager $86,119.49. Yes, you read that correctly. For his part in whatever shenanigans led to Mimms’ ousting, Gilmore has been relegated to the depths of… well, a slightly smaller paycheck. Poor guy.

How will he ever recover?

Let’s put this in perspective: if your average taxpayer got caught up in a scheme at work where a $500,000 Catholic charity grant was missing, they wouldn’t just be demoted—they’d be escorted out by security with a box of their office knick-knacks. But when you’re a well-connected city employee, you get a stern talking-to, a salary that’s still nearly double the median household income in Fort Pierce, and a free pass to keep cashing in those government benefits.

What exactly did Gilmore do to earn such a brutal financial thrashing? Gilmore was a part of the same tainted bidding process that led to the arrest of former City Manager Nick Mimms. If Mimms

to foot the bill for incompetence, cronyism, and backroom deals. And why not? If history has taught us anything, it’s that as long as you’re in the right circles, there’s always a safety net waiting to catch you. If only the same could be said for the hard-working residents who actually make an honest living.

So, here’s to Vennis Gilmore—living proof that in Fort Pierce government, failure isn’t just tolerated; it’s practically rewarded. Now he can take another vacation.

Photo from Facebook.

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Fort Pierce’s City Manager Hiring: A Masterclass in Chaos City Hall’s Hiring Process: Where Merit Goes to Die Just when you thought Fort Pierce couldn’t outdo itself in dysfunction, the City’s attempt to replace a City Manager charged with bid rigging has turned into a reality show—without the cameras, but plenty of drama.

Former City Manager Nick Mimms was booted from his position after being accused in a bid-rigging scheme, proving that the City’s leadership had, at best, a flexible relationship with ethics. With his departure, one might assume that Fort Pierce would seize the opportunity to clean house and restore public trust.

Instead, the hiring process became a full-blown circus act.

Seventy-two eager candidates threw their hats in the ring, hoping to take the reins of a City desperate for a fresh start. But then, in a magic trick no one could explain, 11 applicants mysteriously vanished from the system. Poof—gone. No explanation, no accountability, just bureaucratic sleight of hand at its finest.

From there, the field was slashed to seven, but

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apparently, someone wasn’t done playing games.

Three more candidates withdrew after receiving an anonymous harrassing phone calls— because nothing screams “transparent hiring process” like mystery intimidation tactics. That left only four contenders. But wait! One of them didn’t even meet the residency requirements, so they were out too. That left three.

Enter Linda Cox, the City Clerk and apparent favorite of Mayor Linda Hudson. Also in the running?

Richard Chess, who ultimately walked away with the job thanks to a narrow 3-2 vote by Fort Pierce City Commissioners Arnold Gaines, Curtis Johnson, and James Taylor. Meanwhile, Hudson and Commissioner Michael Broderick stuck with Cox. Community activist and Sweetie’s Diner owner Rick Reed summed up the mood, saying, “This is exciting. The city is stagnant. The city has a bad reputation and we need new blood.” While some might say “exciting” is a generous way to describe this fiasco, he’s not wrong about Fort Pierce’s reputation.

So, what’s next? If history is any indicator, expect more eyebrow-raising decisions, backroom deals, and possibly another city manager scandal in the next few years. Stay tuned, Fort Pierce—you never fail to entertain.

$1 Million Dollar Giveaway: Incubate Neighborhood Center a Bust!

INC Collects, But the Community Gets Ghosted

If there were an award for the most spectacular misuse of public resources, Fort Pierce might have just secured a top spot. More than three years after the city handed Incubate Neighborhood Center (INC) the keys to a $1 million historic building—for the bargain price of $12 a year—the facility remains closed and unfit for occupancy. And if you’re wondering where the Alleghany Franciscan money given in grants and donations meant to support it have gone, join the club.

Let’s start with the basics: The City of Fort Pierce generously leased the historic property to INC, expecting the organization to serve the community in a meaningful way.

Instead, what the city did was shutter the building, claiming the building they owned was unsafe.

INC managed to secure $440,000 from a Catholic charity, plus grants of $250,000, $25,000, $150,000, and $2,000—bringing the grand total of unaccounted funds to well over $867,000. That’s nearly a million dollars with no clear explanation of where it went. And here’s the kicker: INC never filed the required 990 tax returns, meaning there’s zero public record of how these funds were used.

In response, the IRS did what the IRS does when organizations conveniently forget to report their finances—they revoked INC’s tax-exempt status. Because, shockingly, failing to account for massive sums of money

tends to raise a few red flags.

And what does Fort Pierce have to show for its failed actions? A historic city owned building that’s still unfit for use and a nonprofit that has effectively ghosted the city, leaving behind nothing but financial questions for these non-profits and a locked door.

So, who’s holding INC accountable? Who’s asking where the money went? And more importantly, how long before Fort Pierce officials realize that maybe, just maybe, handing out million-dollar properties for pennies on the dollar with no oversight isn’t the best idea?

Stay tuned—if history is any indicator, this saga is far from over.

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