Police Chief Bill Lee was fired because he did not have the confidence of elected officials and the entire community, according to Sanford's city manager.

Norton Bonaparte spoke out thursday about his decision to fire Lee, who had been under fire for his department's handling of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in February.

Bonaparte said firing Lee was a difficult decision because it affects the morale withing the police force.

“I think the morale had already been affected,” he said. “The Sanford Police Department was under scrutiny for its handling of the Trayvon Martin shooting.  Chief Lee became a point person to the point that the City Commission took a vote of no confidence and he voluntarily stepped down as a major in March.  This continuing to say we really need to have complete separation of Chief Lee and the Sanford Police Department."

Lee voluntarily stepped aside on March 22 amid growing outrage in the city when police did not arrested George Zimmerman after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman was later charged with second-degree murder by state prosecutors.

After Lee stepped down, he offered to resign, a move the City Commission initially rejected. But he was finally cut loose Wednesday.

Lee has been accused of overruling one of his detective's recommendations to arrest Zimmerman the night of the deadly shooting.

Instead, Zimmerman was allowed to walk out of police headquarters that same night, prompting weeks of protests in Sanford.

Lee's continued employment with the department had angered some Sanford residents. The president of the city's NAACP chapter has said that there can be no healing until Lee was fired.

Though Lee has now been fired, he won't walk away empty-handed. As per his contract with the city of Sanford, he gets a severance of three months and one week's salary, plus payment for any earned time off.

Sanford's police department is currently under the direction of interim Chief Richard Myers, a position he will continue to hold.

However, the city manager said he has been in contact with a nationwide group specializing in locating police chief candidates, trying to find a new, permanent chief of police. Bonaparte said that process could take several months.

“I wish Lee the best of luck and the best wishes for his future endeavors,” said Bonaparte.