In addition to prior stories, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is now facing an independent investigation after allegations surfaced that he violated the city charter by attempting to unilaterally fire Interim City Manager Lauren Johnston and Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo. Councilman Charles Gambaro raised these serious concerns during a City Council meeting on March 11, 2025, suggesting Norris’s actions had created a toxic work environment within City Hall. Johnston confirmed the accuracy of Gambaro’s account, affirming that Norris privately demanded her resignation along with that of DeLorenzo. Councilman Ty Miller also expressed concern, calling the allegations a “blatant violation of the city charter” and stressing the importance of maintaining proper governance procedures to preserve public trust.
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri expressed significant concern over Norris’s alleged behavior, describing it as clearly improper. Pontieri emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to city governance procedures, stating that actions like Norris’s risk severely undermining public trust and creating instability within City Hall.
Former Vice Mayor Ed Danko also publicly addressed the controversy, stating, “These are very, very serious charges, and no doubt the mayor’s focus will now be entirely on defending his reputation. Therefore, I believe Mayor Norris should do the honorable thing and temporarily step down until this matter is settled one way or another.” Danko’s remarks further underscore the severity of the crisis and amplify community concerns over Norris’s ability to effectively govern amid such turmoil.
Adding weight to concerns about Norris’ a city employee, wishing to remain anonymous, disclosed to the Palm Coast Report in early March 2025 that Norris created a culture of fear and frustration within City Hall. The employee stated, “He scares me,” describing an uncomfortable work environment. The Palm Coast City Council subsequently initiated an independent investigation, with plans to interview multiple employees to determine the validity of these accusations.
Palm Coast Report reached out to Mayor Norris via email, directly asking whether the allegations were true. Norris briefly responded, “Nope, Thanks for asking, Mike,” providing no additional context or explanation.
These developments follow earlier controversies that raised significant questions about Norris’s temperament and leadership stability. In August 2024, during Palm Coast’s mayoral primary election, Norris was accused of verbally threatening fellow candidate Alan Lowe at a polling station, allegedly using profanity and threatening physical violence. Lowe’s wife captured video footage where Norris is heard calling Lowe derogatory names. Norris denied the severity of these accusations, dismissing them as politically motivated lies. The incident prompted rival candidate Cornelia Manfre to publicly criticize Norris’ aggressive behavior as “unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman,” demanding an apology for his disrespectful remarks.
Concerns over Norris’ leadership deepened on March 7, 2025, when he abruptly reversed his stance regarding Palm Coast’s Comprehensive Plan and proposed utility rate increase. Initially supportive of city staff recommendations for incremental infrastructure improvements funded by moderate rate increases and a $615 million borrowing plan, Norris suddenly called instead for an indefinite moratorium on residential development approvals, claiming—without providing substantial evidence—that continued growth threatened financial ruin.
As Palm Coast moves forward with the investigation, residents and city officials remain uncertain about Norris’s future leadership, increasingly concerned about ongoing instability and controversial decision-making at City Hall.
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