Plantation, Florida – The city of Plantation is in the middle of a major corruption scandal involving its former Public Works Director, Steven Luther Rodgers, aged 48. Rodgers stands accused of a series of misconducts, including the misuse of city resources and personnel for personal gain. These allegations have cast a shadow over the city’s administration, raising serious concerns about ethical standards and oversight.
Rodgers is accused of having city employees perform personal tasks for him while they were on the clock. One particular instance involved a public works employee who was allegedly ordered to paint and remodel Rodgers’ girlfriend’s apartment during work hours. Additionally, Rodgers is said to have instructed a secretary to falsify his time card to cover up these misdeeds.
Rodgers’ alleged corruption extends beyond just misusing staff for personal errands. Other allegations include having a public works employee pour concrete at his house, directing the theft and sale of catalytic converters from a city garage, and improperly taking home city trailers marked as scrap. These incidents reportedly date back to 2016 and were brought to light by multiple employees who reported them to the city’s human resources department.
In response to these allegations, Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal stated that Rodgers was placed on paid leave in January of this year and did not return to his position. By March, Rodgers was officially terminated from his role as Public Works Director. Mayor Sortal said that the police investigated the matter for several months before referring it to the state attorney’s office.
Rodgers’ career with the city began in 2013 when he was hired as Assistant Public Works Director. He was promoted to the director position in 2019 by former Mayor Lynn Stoner, who was also arrested on public corruption charges in May.
