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City real estate manager resigns

Jack Rodriguez brokered real estate deals within city limits, violating an agreement barring him from doing so.

By SHERRI DAY and JANET ZINK
Published October 15, 2005

TAMPA - City real estate manager Jack Rodriguez resigned Friday after city officials determined his sideline as a private Realtor violated a legal agreement that bars him from brokering deals within the city limits.

Rodriguez's resignation from the $95,721-per-year city job was effective immediately. He could not be reached for comment Friday. City officials began scrutinizing Rodriguez Wednesday, after a St. Petersburg Times reporter found several Tampa real estate transactions that Rodriguez brokered. The reporter asked about possible ethics violations, and the city launched an investigation.

City and state ethics codes bar public employees from taking on outside work that may interfere with official duties. This came up when he was hired.

A Realtor and licensed real estate broker for more than 30 years, Rodriguez joined the city's real estate division as its assistant city manager in 1995. In taking the job, he asked city lawyers if he could continue his private work while holding the new post. A legal opinion, which addressed Rodriguez specifically, prohibited him from brokering deals within the city of Tampa.

Rodriguez accepted the job and, was promoted to division manager in 2001.

Darrell Smith, Mayor Pam Iorio's chief of staff, said administration officials asked Rodriguez Wednesday to provide them with a list of all real estate transactions he made within the city of Tampa. The next day Rodriguez turned in a memo outlining four deals, Smith said.

According to Rodriguez's memo, sales in 2004 included property at 2008 W Fern St. and 3602 N A St. In 2005, Rodriguez said he brokered two deals within the city limits at 7850 Niagara Ave. and 4203 Ohio Ave.

He also said he was involved in other activity in unincorporated Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

In a February 2004 memo to city human resources director Sarah Lang, Rodriguez outlined his involvement in a real estate company he owns with his wife. He said its predominant activity was to lease and manage family-owned properties, and his wife handled the day-to-day business, running it out of their home. He said this information had previously been disclosed in 1995 and 2001.

In an interview earlier this week, Rodriguez told the St. Petersburg Times that he did not believe he had done anything wrong.

"I believe I have complied with all requirements (of the code) and have abided by its conditions," he said.

But city officials did not agree, and said that, given the violation of the city attorney's legal opinion, they had no choice but to ask for his resignation.

"He clearly made several mistakes in judgment by taking actions to participate in real estate transactions when he was aware, from a legal standpoint, it was not in compliance with the law," Smith said. "It was not like he was doing it on a weekly or monthly basis, but it still boils down to he did not comply with the opinion and action needed to be taken."

Smith said he reviewed the real estate deals, along with the city attorney, economic development director, human resources head and chief of business and housing development.

In resigning, Rodriguez, 58, has opted to take early retirement. He will be eligible to begin receiving benefits once he reaches 62, Smith said.

This is the latest misstep in a string of embarrassing scandals in the city's Housing Department. In 2004, former city housing director Steve LaBrake was sentenced to five years in federal prison for trading city contracts for personal favors from builders.

The real estate division has not named a replacement for Rodriguez.

"Fortunately we have a lot of good staff within the department and some of the other staff within the business and housing division will be helping out in the interim as we search for a new leader," said Mark Huey, the city's economic development manager. "We certainly will look aggressively for the right candidate."

Sherri Day can be reached at 813 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com

[Last modified October 15, 2005, 01:14:05]