Ex-Fort Lauderdale City Manager Greg Chavarria Accused of Residency Fraud and Misconduct

Gregorio "Greg" Chavarria, the former city manager of Fort Lauderdale, is under scrutiny after allegations from the Broward Office of the Inspector General suggesting he failed to comply with city charter mandates by residing outside city limits during his tenure. According to a report by NBC Miami, Chavarria's term, which stretched from July 23, 2022, to June 1, 2024, was marred by his not maintaining a legitimate residence within the city, a requirement written into the city's charter.

The investigation revealed that having purchased a condo in Fort Lauderdale on October 31, 2022, Chavarria and his wife did not appear to be living there and sold it within four months, creating doubts about the veracity of their local residency. The Office of the Inspector General said, "As his ownership of the condominium accounted for less than four months of his 22-month term of office, and the city charter does not exempt those who make a good faith effort to comply with this requirement, the claimed residence at the condominium he purchased in the City did not affect our misconduct findings." Even though he owned a condominium in the city, this short stint fell far short of the requisite occupancy duration during his term.

Further compounding these allegations, Chavarria also apparently falsified his address for official documents. The Inspector General's office uncovered that Chavarria falsely swore to a different address in Fort Lauderdale when updating his driver's license information with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The gravity of these claims has prompted the Office of the Inspector General to refer the matter to the Broward State Attorney's Office for further action. Chavarria has not publicly responded to the accusations. The story unfolded as part of an ongoing attention to governance and accountability within the Fort Lauderdale administrative apparatus, which the community follows with a watchful eye for developing updates. Details surrounding the former city manager's alleged actions, as outlined by the Inspector General's office, now rest in the hands of legal authorities who will determine the path forward in light of these serious allegations.

Ex-Fort Lauderdale city manager accused of misconduct and lying about living in city NBC 6 South Florida #TerminalIllness #DecisionMaking [Video]https://t.co/srxL7nNcvf

— Lisa Larson (@LisaLELN) July 6, 2024