Paul Dyal Severance Fiasco,
Pt-III:
Dyal Agrees to Symbolic $5 Grand Payment --
Walks Away With about $200 Grand
February 5, 2026 1:05 am | Go to Part I | Go to Part II
Columbia County Observer photo and graphic
LAKE CITY, FL – The Paul Dyal Severance Fiasco, a sordid tale of incompetence, backroom deals, and Columbia County’s infamous good ole’ boy cronyism, looks like it will finally come to an end at the City’s next Council meeting.
At 5:21 pm today, Ex City Manager Paul Dyal’s attorney, Joel Foreman, sent the City Attorney an email which stated, “Please let this email serve as confirmation that my client, Paul Dyal accepts the terms of settlement as approved by the City Council for the City of Lake City (the “Council”) on Monday, February 2, 2026.”
“Mr. Dyal will remit the sum of $5,000.00 when he delivers the executed Mutual General Release to the City.”
“… Once we have an approved release to sign, Mr. Dyal will do so, and we will deliver the settlement proceeds as you direct.”
A Home Run for Dyal
Many thought that Mr. Dyal should have at least been responsible for the City’s legal fees, which will probably come in at around $20,000.
At the last meeting, Councilwoman Tammy Harris suggested $10,000, but the other Council members didn’t go for it.
Ms. Harris agreed to the $5,000 amount, which passed the Council 4-1.
Ms. Harris’s concluding remarks, as the Dyal Severance Fiasco portion of the meeting concluded, “He ought to be skipping to the bank to write that check,” did not go unheeded by Mr. Dyal.
He is about to parlay a $5 grand investment into $200,000 on the backs of Florida’s taxpayers.
Epilogue
The Dyal severance payout, a better deal than most at the Antiques Road Show.
