City of Alachua Planners welcome investigation into their resignations
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
ALACHUA, Fla. – Three Planners who resigned from the City of Alachua in February over concerns that their recommendations were ignored have stated that they are willing to participate in an investigation into their reasons for resigning.
Former Planner Justin Tabor wrote an open letter in March, expressing his concerns: “Most of the issues within the Planning Department are a result of outside influence on leadership. Specifically, the influence that former City Manager Adam Boukari has had on current City Manager Mike DaRoza. In my opinion, it appears that former City Manager Adam Boukari never relinquished control of the City Manager’s position and has been essentially co-managing the City with Mr. DaRoza, while representing developers’ interests in a private capacity.”
DaRoza resigned on May 26.
The City Commission initially voted to conduct an investigation and then reconsidered that on February 10; with two new members on the Commission, Mayor Walter Welch and Commissioner Jacob Fletcher, the board recently voted to conduct the investigation.
Three former Planners – Adam Hall, Justin Tabor, and Kathy Winburn – sent a letter to the Mayor and Commissioners today, stating that they had learned that the Commission had voted on May 19 to direct City Attorney Marian Rush to “find two or three attorneys for the Commission to consider engaging to investigate the circumstances surrounding our resignations from employment with the City of Alachua. Please accept this response as confirmation of our willingness to participate in this investigation.”
Im grateful to these commissioners for doing the right thing and they have the full support of many in our community. Let the investigation begin. It should have never been stopped in the first place. We citizens want transparency and we are watching.
Good. Thanks to the new Mayor and Commissioner the Alachua Commission is finally looking into what actually happened. Even though Tabor took it into his own hands after the previous Commission’s cowardly move to about-face two weeks after so whole-heartedly wanting to know why these three left. Now we will get two more stories that almost certainly corroborate Tabor and shut up the nay-sayers and the members of the. Boukari Klan.
All the praise should go to a private citizen who asked to add it back on the agenda and Fletcher for making it happen. The new Mayor can’t even read, let alone run a meeting.
I was told that the Mayor couldn’t read as well. How the hell does that happen???
“How the hell does that happen????” Answer: Voters put him in office because Mayor Mustache was rude and didn’t listen to the voters.
So? A long time rumor about town is that a former city manager, state legislature, and sheriff is functionally illiterate. His secretaries filled out all his mail order college degree work. Depose them. Sadly, no lawyer who ever had him under oath in a deposition was ever smart enough to hand him something he never saw and ask “read this” to prove it once and for all. Opportunity missed.
Main Street News: Brian Boukari is owner and editor of the publication Alachua County Today (ACT). For the last 3 years the ACT has been engaged in a lawsuit with the restaurant in the building north of ACT, 2022-CA-2631. Has to do with alley access for a trash truck for a dumpster which a restaurant must have to operate. ACT blocked the alley with a construction which the Judge, not me, called a “spite fence.” Most minor land use lawsuits like this get resolved in six weeks. Why not this one?
In August the judge heard the case and ruled in October. Of the four points of contention, ACT won one (the most minor one) and LOST the big three. Some people exercise their legal right to never admit wrong, fight, fight, fight, run up the lawyer bills for both sides. In January 2025 the ACT paid $1000 to the First District Court of Appeals to appeal the case they lost.
Minor cases usually have few or no depositions. This case has extensive depositions. For many months the two sides have been arguing about “court costs” which turn out to be “Which side pays the court reporter service for the written transcripts of the extensive depositions.” On May 20, 2025, the judge ruled that ACT must pay. $6,556.56. Ouch.
Thak you Alachua Chronicle for covering the events happening in Alachua. You can do it, do a great public service informing the public, and attract a whole new readership of people concerned about things happening in Alachua government that will greatly impact their lives.
It is excellent news, but we are still under the tentacles of the Boukaris. They are trying to appoint Valladares as the Interim City Manager, and he is one of the Boukari puppets. Additionally, the city is failing to stream the meetings, which affects people who cannot attend or have a physical difficulty hearing what is happening live. Thank you, Alachua Chronicle, for keeping us informed. A new City Manager should be appointed out of the current roster they have. There are many people capable of doing a great job, so look outside the box and you will see many willing to work as a team with the new commissioner(s) and mayor.
While the investigation into the Planning staff leaving is being conducted, should there be investigations into: How much was Adam Boukari paid by the City as a “consultant” at the same time he was a consultant to the developers? How much was Chad Scott paid as a “Captain” in APD while he was running as Sheriff? How much was Elliott Harris paid as a full time Rec Director at the same time he was head basketball coach at Santa Fe HS? Is there corruption or malfeasance at City Hall?
Adam Boukari ended as city manager on August 5, 2021. He was making about $12,000 a month as city manager.
On May 10, the day he announced his resignation, the city commission voted to hire Boukari on a six month contract starting Aug. 6 as a “consultant” for $8000 per month. No duties, no work hours, just whatever he wanted to do. (Perhaps micromanage the new city manager?) Vote 5-0.
On February 14, 2022, the city commission authorized a six month extension of Boukari’s contract at $4000 per month. Vote 5-0.
On July 12, 2021, sunbiz.org says a Florida Limited Liability Company L21000318154 was created by Adam Boukari of Alachua. Name: ABBFORTIS STRATEGIES, LLC. A consulting company of some sort. Started while he was still city manager. It’s Alachua.
Adam Boukari also did not file an LDR review or obtain a business license for this new adventure much like all the other Boukari business except Ben. Oh and all registered st moma Boukari’s house
Who were the developers that were paying under the table to get their projects approved?
Good. Pursue the investigastion at “full speed” (although I’d prefer an investigation completely independent of the City of Alachua, FL Commission).
IMO, “digging deep enough”, an impartial investigation would find gross evidence of corruption.
Unfortunately there’s nothing on the next commission meeting agenda about the investigation. Deroza’s resignation probably sidetracked the city attorney’s efforts. He can stall it for a couple weeks but it ain’t gonna just disappear…