HOLLYWOOD — Embattled Hollywood City Manager Doug Hewett resigned on June 1, just 13 weeks and three days after he was hired as chief administrator for Florida’s 12th largest city. Hewett, 41, was arrested for DUI at approximately 3 a.m. on Easter Sunday, after Miami-Dade police pulled him over while leaving Swinging Richards, a gay adult club in North Miami Beach.
The officer wrote in his report, “I immediately noticed the defendant had red bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech and the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.”Hewett told police that he had consumed two beers, and two breath samples registered blood-alcohol levels of .145 and .139, much higher than Florida’s legal limit of .08.
Hewett—whose annual salary as city manager was $172,000, plus perks—has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence, failure to obey a traffic sign, and failure to use a designated lane. He leaves as city manager with a $66,000 severance package, and 12 months of health insurance coverage. City commissioners agreed to a “no disparagement clause’’ in exchange for Hewett’s promise to not sue the city. Hewett previously worked as Assistant City Manager of Fayetteville, North Carolina.