FORT PIERCE – The employment status of Fort Pierce City Attorney Sara Hedges could be in the hands of city commissioners May 18.
“I know there is a move afoot to remove Sara Hedges as city attorney,” Commissioner Michael Broderick said during Monday morning’s Fort Pierce City Commission business meeting. “I don’t support that.”
Members renewed their conversation of the controversy involving Hedges’ recent recommendation that city Finance Director Johnna Morris be fired after the city received a court-ordered wage garnishment order that it take money from Morris’ bi-monthly pay to satisfy a $14,343.61 unpaid personal credit card debt.
Some officials have said federal law prohibits an employer from taking disciplinary action against an employee after a single garnishment, and city officials have not publicly identified any other disciplinary circumstances involving Morris.
Hedges initially placed the finance director on paid administrative leave.
City Manager Richard Chess, who, like Hedges, is a charter employee who answers only to the city commission, claimed Hedges had blocked him from seeking outside employment counsel when the garnishment issue first arose.
Morris returned to work after three days, but an attorney representing her is asking $200,000 in damages from the city, plus that Hedges be fired for additional claims that Hedges violated Morris’ privacy rights by disclosing the long-time finance director’s personal financial information and damaged her reputation.
In an April 28 letter to the city, West Palm Beach attorney Denise Mutamba also asked the city to respond to Morris’ demands by May 4, including offering a public apology from the city and purging Morris’ personnel record of the matter.
Despite the May 4 deadline, the issue was not on the city commission’s formal day-meeting agenda Monday. It arose after Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky questioned when members planned to discuss renewing some contracts–including Hedges’– that will renew automatically June 2 unless there’s other action by the commission.
Dzadovsky lacked support for additional discussion Monday. But commissioners voted 4-1 supporting Dzadovsky’s motion to discuss on May 18 officially renewing, not renewing or taking no action and allowing Hedges’ contract to automatically continue. Mayor Linda Hudson cast the dissenting vote.
Hedges had a disciplinary complaint filed against her in 2023, when she was assistant city attorney. A city code enforcement officer said she referred to him using a derogatory term during a meeting that included other city employees .
It’s unclear if any disciplinary action resulted.
St. Lucie County court records show this is the first time a garnishment order has been filed against Morris with the city to collect an unpaid debt. In 2025, court records show two other credit card collection orders were cleared without garnishment against the finance director who earns $180,000 annually.
Felicia Holloman, assistant city attorney, was at Monday’s commission meeting from the city’s legal office. Hedges was reported to be out of town this week.