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Fed up with fight, Brooksville's attorney resigns

Amid speculation that others will quit, David LaCroix plans his exit.

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published March 23, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Might resignation be the order of the day?

Now Brooksville City Hall has another one: City Attorney David LaCroix.

At the City Council meeting Monday night, council member Richard Lewis berated LaCroix, saying that he could no longer trust his legal advice and calling LaCroix a liar.

LaCroix shot back that he wouldn't speak to Lewis anymore without a tape recorder because Lewis was misconstruing his comments.

Lewis said it didn't matter because he wasn't interested in talking.

Then LaCroix took the challenge straight to Lewis, telling him he would be happy to resign if the council no longer had faith in him.

None of the other council members said anything.

So LaCroix stayed on - until Tuesday, when he announced that he was resigning, effective Sept. 30. "I had been thinking about doing this for a while anyway," LaCroix said Tuesday. "Richard Lewis just made me decide it sooner than later."

LaCroix, who will turn 65 in May, said that he was in the process of winding down his private practice and was seeking to end his commitments to the city.

He has served Brooksville for five years.

Last fiscal year, the city paid him $53,385, according to the Finance Department.

LaCroix's announcement comes amid speculation that Human Resources director Ron Baker and police Chief Ed Tincher are contemplating resignation in the wake of an internal investigation into their actions.

In January, City Manager Richard Anderson resigned before being placed on leave and effectively being terminated.

On Tuesday, there was still no new word on Baker or Tincher.

Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or 352 754-6114.

[Last modified March 22, 2007, 22:35:42]