Public records obtained from the City of Deerfield Beach show that Public Affairs Director Rebecca Medina Stewart filed a formal HR complaint on October 17, 2025, against District 3 Commissioner Daniel Shanetzky, alleging hostile and threatening communications over text and email. The complaint was triggered by a dispute over a newspaper photograph but followed months of escalating tensions documented in the records. The same records production shows the city manager and city attorney sent the commissioner multiple written corrections on procedural matters including Sunshine Law compliance and proper staff communication protocols. Commissioner Shanetzky submitted a written rebuttal in December 2025 disputing Medina’s characterization and offering his version of events. No formal disciplinary action was taken.
Under Deerfield Beach’s council-manager form of government, the city charter establishes that the city manager — not individual commissioners — supervises city staff. Commissioners may make general inquiries of department directors, but directives and orders must flow through the city manager’s office. The charter also limits the mechanisms available to address the conduct of individual elected officials, who serve as the city’s legislative body rather than as city employees. This structural dynamic is common in Florida municipalities and often creates friction when commissioners are new to the role.
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