Disgruntled County workers threaten mass exodus

Lee County D-O-T workers threaten to call it quits if work conditions don't improve. They say they're being harassed and intimidated by their supervisors and they've had enough. Since Fox 4 Investigator Mike Mason began this investigation, he's spoken with dozens of workers but the problem is that most of those workers won't go on-camera because they're afraid of losing their jobs.


Bob Maxey is an equipment operator at Lee County D.O.T. and has been with the county for 9 years. He has a clean record but says supervisors are getting downright dirty, "Workers do have rights, we're being told to shut up."

On Wednesday, D.O.T worker Steve Sherman also spoke out, saying county supervisors are using sleazy tactics to run employees out of their jobs, "It's counterproductive to be chastised and be heavy handed in certain areas of departments with the employees."
Maxey says supervisors hold monthly meetings with employees but it's just a waste of time, "You won't hear anything out of most of the workers here because they're afraid for their jobs." Maxey says supervisors are required to conduct meetings but discourage input from employees, "they'll tell you how it's going to be and if you raise your hand in opposition against whatever their plan may be at the time you're kind of singled out you know it's like 'what is your problem? Do you have a question?' And the guy he'll generally shut up and melt back into the crowd because he doesn't want to be singled out like that in a group there."
Maxey and Sherman both agree upon which supervisor is using intimidation tactics at their particular D.O.T. office on Zip Drive in Fort Myers. Maxey says, "The Director right now is Clay Simmons. He makes you understand verbally that it's his way or no way."

Clay Simmons - Director D.O.T. Operations

Four in your Corner's Mike Mason went out to the D.O.T. Operations Center on Zip Drive to speak with Division Director Clay Simmons but was told Simmons was out for the day. While there Mason spoke with some of the employees in the office who said they'd like to talk to us about problems at the workplace but they're afraid for their jobs .
The maintenance supervisor in charge, Chuck Speake, called Simmons on his cell phone but claimed, "I didn't get a hold of Clay but if you guys want to make an appointment and come back he should be here tomorrow and I'm sure, he's not going to ‘not' to talk to you.
Workers feel this is really a countywide problem which needs to be handled from the top down. Maxey says, "I think the County Manager should be looking into it, talk to the working people here at D.O.T. off to the side and ask them what's going on."

Karen Hawes is the Lee County manager and Fox 4 left Hawes on her cell phone but received no response. We are told she's out of town. One thing is certainly clear; if County officials don't do something quick many workers say they're hitting the road. Maxey warns, "Other people have told me as soon as they can find another job they're gone. They want out of here they're done with this."

If you are a public employee and are having problems at work Fox 4 would like to hear from you. Head to Fox4now.com and click on the ‘Viewers' Voice' tab or call or text us at 239-206-Fox 4

To view the Fox 4 TV report click on this link: http://www.fox4now.com/story/14926395/disgruntled-county-workers-threaten-mass-exodus?redirected=true

Lee County worker blows the whistle on county managers

A Lee County worker blows the whistle on county managers, accusing them of forcing employees out of their jobs. This comes after a Fox 4 investigation into the controversial resignation of the County's interim D-O-T Director.

Steve Sherman works for Lee County's Department of Transportation's Traffic Sign Division and after watching our report last night he decided to speak out. He wants to expose the way county officials are treating their employees and he feels it's so important he's willing to put his own job on the line for this. Sherman admits he's nervous about going public but says, "I feel the obligation to do right by my fellow employees and Mr. Wingard".

Paul Wingard is currently the county's interim Director of the Department of Transportation and has recently decided to resign. Wingard says he's leaving because he's not happy with the current administration, "when you're working with a group of people and you really feel like you're not part of that group, that's just not a good place to be in."

County Manager, Karen Hawes, claims Wingard and other key employees have been leaving to pursue more lucrative jobs in the private sector. But Wingard says that's not at all true, "I'm not leaving because of additional pay that absolutely has nothing to do with the reason I'm leaving."

And that has Lee County Commissioner Brian Bigelow questioning the integrity of Karen Hawes. Bigelow wonders, "are we getting other information in the course of doing county business that might also be inaccurate or misleading? This is a grave concern for myself."

Sherman says he knows the truth about why good employees are leaving and it's because county managers are forcing them out. He claims they rule with a "heavy handed mentality, it's my way or the highway,jobs are tough so if you don't like it here then go like it somewhere else."
Sherman now works for the County's Traffic Division of the Lee County Department of Transportation, he says he's happy there and he likes his supervisors but that wasn't the case a few years ago. When he worked at D.O.T's Operations Center he wasn't happy at all, he said supervisors there ruled with an iron fist and he's talked with other employees throughout Lee County who also say they have a problem with the upper management style.
Sherman says, "It's counterproductive to be chastised and be heavy handed in certain areas of departments with the employees". Sherman goes on to say that employees will eventually leave if things don't improve at the workplace, "Absolutely, if the employment business gets better in the private sector I'm sure there will be a great exodus out of here."
Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall told Four in your Corner's Mike Mason more employees may lose their jobs because the county has a 46-million dollar deficit. County employees, however, don't feel that should have anything to do with how they are treated at work. Lee County records indicate 26 employees have left their jobs since May first of this year but the circumstances of *why* they left are unclear. Fox 4 would like to hear from public employees if they have problems at work. They can call or text Fox 4 at 239-206 Fox Four or send an email at ‘Foxfournow.com' and click on the ‘Viewers' Voice' tab.

Here's a link to the Fox 4 TV report: http://www.fox4now.com/story/14918744/lee-county-worker-blows-whistle-on-county-managers?redirected=true

Lee County manager comes under fire - accused of possibly forcing employees out of their jobs

Karen Hawes - County Manager

FORT MYERS - The Lee County Manager is coming under fire, accused of possibly lying to Commissioners and pushing County employees out of their jobs. District 2 Commissioner Brian Bigelow says, "This is information that's coming to the Board if it's inaccurate or found to be intentionally misleading we need to know that."


The County's Interim Director of the County's Department of Transportation (D.O.T.), Paul Wingard is the latest employee who has decided to resign. He simply states he's not happy with his job, "No and that's why I'm leaving exactly."

Paul Wingard- Lee D.O.T

Wingard has worked with the County's transportation department for 18 years, has never had a negative evaluation and expected to be promoted. When Four in your Corner's Mike Mason asked Wingard if he thought he was the number two candidate to fill the Director position he answered, "That's kind of what was indicated to me but I don't know that because I wasn't in any of the meetings when they talked about it and ranked people."
County manager, Karen Hawes, claims Wingard is leaving for a more lucrative position in the private sector. In a memo to commissioners she wrote:

"As with Paul, another engineer in the Utilities Division is leaving to earn more compensation and receive greater benefits than the county is currently offering."

But Wingard insists that's not at all true, "my weekly paycheck compared to what I'm making right now today to what I will be making is actually less, but there are some other things that go along with that. It has nothing to do with money."

Brian Bigelow - Lee Commissioner

That's one reason Bigelow has asked the County Attorney at Tuesday's commission meeting to launch an inquiry into what really happened. Bigelow told commissioners, "There appears to be a factual conflict between Mr. Wingard's resignation letter of June 1st and the County Manager Hawes' email of the same day explaining his resignation for us."
Board members shot down Bigelow's request for the inquiry but Bigelow still wonders if Karen Hawes is really competent to be the County Manager. He says, "I just have to say I have a question, I have a question about it."
Wingard's resignation is not the only one Commissioner Bigelow is suspicious about, in the past year alone two other transportation employees have left the County and Bigelow wonders if they were forced out. That's why he asked Karen Hawes about it directly but he says she didn't really give him a clear answer. That's the reason Bigelow is the only one out of 5 commissioners who has refused to sign Hawes' annual evaluation. Bigelow states, "I wanted to know more about why in fact they (employees) left. I still to this day am not clear as to why they were forced out."
Wingard didn't want to talk specifics on camera but in his resignation letter he wrote:

"It has become obvious over the past several months that my knowledge, expertise and abilities are no longer of value to the county and I have become less and less satisfied with the work situation."

We wanted to speak with County Manager Karen Hawes but she left today's commission meeting early. She says she's flying out to Washington D.C. to meet with legislative staff there. No word on when she'll be back but Fox4 Investigates will stay on top of this story.

To watch the Fox4 report click on: