Bradenton Beach City Attorney Ricinda Perry retired on Sept. 18 after 21 years of service following involvement in a lawsuit alleging corruption and other controversies during the 2024 hurricane season.
Perry’s departure comes as the city faces a looming $100 million class-action lawsuit from condo owner Bob Bolus, Sr., who alleges a conspiracy of “political corruption and graft” involving city officials and prominent developer Shawn Kaleta, and other controversies that arose from the condemnation process following the 2024 hurricanes.
In her five-page retirement letter, Perry explained that she intended to retire at the end of 2024 and move out-of-state with her family but postponed her plans to help the city navigate the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Retiring now, about a year after the 2024 hurricanes, will let Perry reconnect with her loved ones. She read the letter during her final remarks at the Sept. 18 city meeting.
Recalling words spoken by the late Charlie Kirk, Perry said her daughter is now a quarter of the way through her second year at a new school after her family moved out-of-state in 2024 and expressed that her retirement comes out of desire to spend time with her family.
“Charlie Kirk once said, ‘lost time is never found again’ in his words of wisdom moments with his wife,” Perry said. “As I look back, I don’t feel like I lost time here. I found purpose. I found joy. I found friendship and belonging.”
“My family has carried on without me so that I could be present for you and that is lost time that I can never recover,” she said. “I missed moments that only happen once — small milestones, laughter around the dinner table, the simple joy of being home. Those moments are gone, and the ache of their absence has taught me the most important truth: as much as I love Bradenton Beach, the most important role I will ever have is being present for my family.”
Bradenton Beach city attorney announces retirement amidst corruption lawsuit
Perry ends her two-decade tenure with words of gratitude for her “Bradenton Beach family,” but leaves the city with a legal battle that alleges a starkly different narrative of her final year in office.
Her retirement letter is filled with praise for city staff, whom she calls the “true foundation of this city,” as well as past and present commissioners and mayors. She wrote that she leaves with a sense of fulfillment and is confident that the city’s legal needs are in the hands of attorney Robert Lincoln, who has been transitioning into the role for the past six months.
However the decision comes after city commissioners called Perry’s performance in the role of city attorney into question during a workshop on Sept. 16 as a result of consistent controversy after the 2024 hurricanes, although commissioners took no action during the meeting to give Perry more time to prepare a response to the scrutiny. Perry then abruptly retired a couple of days later on Sept. 18.
On August 14, condo owner Bolus formally notified the city of his intent to sue over allegations that Bradenton Beach officials conspired with island developer Kaleta to fraudulently condemn properties by issuing bogus substantial damage assessments after last year’s hurricanes.
The assessments were conducted to comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements that mandate structures with damage that exceeds 50% of their value must be elevated or replaced. The lawsuit claims these assessments were intentionally inflated to allow Kaleta the opportunity to purchase and redevelop the land, with homeowners at the Kaleta-owned Pines Trailer Park, other residents and business owners being among those affected.
Bolus claims that former Building Official Darin Cushing, who conducted the assessments and was later dismissed, is now acting as a whistleblower and will provide testimony corroborating the conspiracy to benefit Kaleta.
Perry staunchly defended the city’s actions during a previous interview with the Herald-Tribune. She stated that Cushing’s determinations were based on his own observations and data from a state-provided assessment team. She also pointed out that Bolus’s own investment property was not condemned or on the substantial damage list, and questioned Bolus’s credibility by highlighting his past felony convictions for receiving stolen property and insurance fraud, as well as his involvement in other controversial lawsuits.
Bolus dismissed the attacks on his character, and said that Perry is “the one that was involved with everything that was going on, she was riding with Kaleta, the police chief, the mayor and the building official when they were telling them to condemn these buildings.”
Bolus further alleges that Perry, the police chief and other city officials “told the building official to condemn the park. He refused and they fired him.”
Bradenton Beach city attorney’s performance called into question after controversy during the 2024 hurricane season
Drift-In bar owners Derek and Helena Williams were among several Bradenton Beach residents who aired out grievances about Perry during the Sept. 16 workshop meeting. They called for Perry’s removal from office following months of controversy over a tiki hut that was permitted by the former building official, Cushing, during the rebuilding process.
Perry was among city officials who challenged the permit approval and claimed that the tiki hut structure should not have been allowed because of the structure’s size. After the matter was eventually resolved, Perry claimed that Derek Williams had filed a complaint against the Anna Maria Oyster Bar with the FEMA about three over-water tiki structures at the Bridge Street pier. The Williams family disputed the claim, but say they felt targetted by the city as a result of the debacle.
“I just ask that we are transparent and that we understand that why was my husbands name brought into this when we had nothing to do with the (Anna Maria) Oyster Bar’s subsequent allegation against the state,” Helena Williams said.
“I think that both my husband and I have carried ourselves with professionalism and integrity through everything that we’ve already been through and we’ve chosen to continue to try and support Bradenton Beach,” she said. “We truly want this to be a successful island, we want people to come here and experience everything and not have someone constantly on our back. That’s what we feel, that we’re being targetted. I’d like to know a reason why for that.”
Bungalow Beach Resort Owner Dayle Luper also raised grievances against Perry during the city’s workshop meeting over similar permitting delays during the rebuilding process. She said her property was among those that the city attempted to wrongfully condemn following 2024 hurricanes.
“After the hurricanes the city tried to condemn one of my properties even though the building official and insurance engineer said the building was safe and met FEMAs 50% rule,” Luper said. “The city (also) said that my maximum parking spaces was 17, and after I protested they conceded and said that’s correct 17 is the minimum. The city blocked myself from my own property, and even my potential hotel guests resulting in future losses.”
Sarasota attorney Robert Lincoln likely to step in as Bradenton Beach city attorney
City commission members will meet on Oct. 2 to discuss options for an interim city attorney, although Perry indicated that Sarasota land use and local government attorney Robert Lincoln is in position to immediately step into the role as a part of her parting remarks.
Perry said she has prepared for a smooth transition out of the city attorney role for the past year, and acknowledged discussions that have taken place behind the scenes where desire for a new city attorney has been expressed.
“For the past half year, the commission has allowed me to transition half of my legal work to Robert Lincoln, who is an outstanding attorney,” she said said. “I am confident that as I retire today, the city is in his capable hands and he will continue to provide for the legal needs of this community.”
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bradenton Beach City Attorney retires amid corruption lawsuit, controversies
Reporting by Jesse Mendoza, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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