In a letter sent to Deputy County Manager Joe Halman, Weech said he has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the county and that he feels the county has made “tremendous progress” during his tenure.
“My reasons for leaving are personal in nature and center around my desire to spend more time with my family,” Weech wrote in his resignation. “I wish the entire Polk County Family continued success in the future.”
Weech is leaving to become fire chief for the City of Lighthouse Point, about 10 miles north of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County. On Tuesday, Lighthouse Point commissioners unanimously voted to confirm his appointment by the mayor.
The new job is a return home for Weech. According to the resume he provided to Lighthouse Point that was included in the Tuesday agenda packet, Weech worked for Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue from 1999 to January 2017, when he left to join Polk County. Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue merged with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire and Rescue in 2011, according to Weech’s resume.
The Lighthouse Point fire chief position has been open since February. In his new position, Weech will earn $140,000 annually, according to the city’s approved resolution. He’s taking a pay cut from his current salary with the county: $155,138.10, according to Nelson.
Weech is leaving a fire department that has struggled to hold onto the necessary number of staff for years, a situation that was only worsened during COVID-19. The department’s inability to fill vacancies has forced employees to pick up mandatory overtime.
Nelson said that County Manager Bill Beasley will present county commissioners with a plan to name an interim fire chief at their county agenda study Friday afternoon. From there, the county will likely conduct a search for Weech’s replacement and appoint an interim by the end of July, Nelson said.