STUART, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 A major reversal in Stuart \u2014 the city commission is bringing back the city manager it fired without cause nearly a year ago.<\/p>\n
This was a split decision \u2014 commissioners voted three-to-two to bring Michael Mortell<\/a> back. That comes after the commission fired city manager Mike Giardino<\/a> last month. Mortell was fired in October 2025.<\/p>\n But one of the biggest points of pushback \u2014 Mortell wasn\u2019t even at the meeting as commissioners debated the terms of his return.<\/p>\n Under the agreement approved by commissioners, Mortell will start at $225,000 a year. That\u2019s down from the more than $265,000 he was making under his previous contract. He also agreed to forgo the city\u2019s 3% cost-of-living raise for the next year.<\/p>\n Commissioner Sean Reed voted against bringing Mortell back. Afterward, he proposed commissioners give up their own salaries for two years.<\/p>\n He says that money should help repay taxpayers for costs connected to firing two city managers.<\/p>\n \u201cMy position is truly public service. I don\u2019t need a paycheck to continue to do what I do for my constituents that support me,\u201d said Reed.<\/p>\n