Days after the county’s now-former public works director submitted his letter of resignation on Oct. 13, staffers in his department discovered that “hundreds of files” had been deleted from his computer. Did the departed Addie Javed delete them before he was placed on administrative leave, which allowed him to be paid his full salary and automobile allowance through mid-November? If so, why? County Administrator John Titkanich said Javed, who had been commuting from his Tampa-area home on a weekly basis throughout his year on the job here, was scheduled to return to Vero Beach earlier this week to discuss the missing files. “We’ve been investigating the matter, and Addie is coming in Tuesday (Oct. 28) to meet with us,” Titkanich said last week. “He claims the files are available.” If the files cannot be retrieved – or the county’s information technology staff can determine that the deletions were malicious – Titkanich said he could rescind his acceptance of Javed’s resignation and, instead, terminate his employment. To do so, however, Titkanich said he would need to provide Javed with a “pre-termination hearing.” Termination would allow the county to not pay Javed, who was an at-will employee, through his resignation date, which is Nov. 14. Titkanich said he and Assistant County Administrator Nancy Bunt – she was Javed’s direct supervisor – were unaware files had been deleted when they accepted his resignation. Once they learned of the deletions, Titkanich said, they also contacted local law enforcement to determine if Florida’s public-records law had been violated. State law makes it a crime to destroy or alter public records, which include documents, photographs, illustrations, communications and other materials made or received in connection with the official business of any agency. Titkanich said staffers discovered the deleted files while preparing for two town hall meetings regarding the Pointe West Homeowners Association’s request that the county assume responsibility for maintenance of the community’s streets and sidewalks. Javed was heavily involved in that project, and he was preparing a presentation for the meetings. After his departure, however, staffers could not find the presentation or any supporting notes or documents. “We needed a file,” the administrator said, “and it wasn’t there.” Both County Commission Chairman Joe Flescher and Vice Chairman Deryl Loar – Titkanich’s most vocal critics over the past year – said the deletion of the files was another example of the administrator’s failed leadership. While Loar said, “It all starts at the top,” Flescher called this latest episode an “embarrassment” to the county. “The missteps are continually occurring in this administration,” Flescher said. “It’s all very disrupting and counterproductive, and it is setting us back.” Javed’s departure came only two months after the county’s planning director, Chris Balter, resigned in disgrace amid felony drug and forgery charges in connection with the death of his terminally ill, 92-year-old grandfather. Though Javed’s exit might’ve seemed abrupt, a series of emails sent and received over the past six months revealed an increasing dissatisfaction with his job performance – especially from Bunt. The emails indicate frustration from administrators, and even commissioners, with what was portrayed as Javed’s failure to promptly address or follow up on inquiries and complaints. “I don’t want to say we were completely dissatisfied, because Addie inherited a department that had been struggling and he had a lot on his plate,” Titkanich said. “He worked a lot of hours, and he worked hard, but an inquiry would fall by the wayside. So, there were opportunities for improvement. “We’re all about service excellence, and we didn’t see what we wanted to see,” he added. “Certainly, we hoped to see something happen sooner. The emails reflect that.” What ultimately led to Javed’s resignation, however, was the discovery that he had been working to organize a civic event in the Tampa area – an Eastern Cultural and Heritage Festival at the University of South Florida on Nov. 22 – and doing it on county time. Apparently, Javed had inadvertently left some related materials on the office printer. “I wouldn’t say it was the last straw, but it was something we needed to look into,” Titkanich said. “I’m not sure he was even asked to resign, but he was given that option after we learned he was using county time for a civic event outside our county. “It was concerning, yes, but did it rise to the level of separation?” he added. “He went home to Tampa for the weekend, came back and submitted his resignation. But it wasn’t just one thing. “We looked at the totality of the circumstances.” Flescher and Loar are doing the same, and they’re concerned about what they’re seeing from the county administrator – pointing to the fact that Titkanich promoted Balter and hired Javed. Balter was promoted to the top of the planning department after his third arrest on DUI-related charges. “This is just another indication of the mediocrity the administrator accepts and tolerates,” Flescher said. Said Loar: “Why did Addie think he could get away with what he was doing? It all comes down to leadership.” Titkanich defended Balter’s job performance, but he agreed that the severity of the charges connected to his arrest made it impossible for him to continue working for the county. “It was clear what happened could impact his ability to do his job,” Titkanich said. “He would have to interface with people in the community, and he was compromised by the arrest. We had to do something. We would have terminated him if he hadn’t resigned.” Titkanich said Balter will be replaced by John Stoll, who previously worked for the county as a senior planner and chief of long-range planning before departing in 2023. He is expected to start in December. The administrator said he wishes the best for both Balter and Javed, who has a doctorate degree in civil engineering and whose work has received national recognition. He acknowledged the challenges Javed confronted living across the state from his family. “One of my management philosophies is to give grace where grace is merited,” Titkanich said. “In these cases, it’s unfortunate the way things played out, and we’re disappointed. But human beings are fallible.”