On Oct. 14, 2015, the city manager was Sara Bowers and the finance director was Joe Brown. On that date, the city received a certified letter from Kathryn DuBose, coordinator for the Florida Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. The letter stated that the required financial reports for Fiscal Year 2013-14 had not been submitted and the city was three and a half months past the final deadline. The letter warned that failure to respond could result in “having state revenues withheld from your municipality.”
The letter was addressed to Mayor Campbell and signed for by Cecilia Alford. Mayor Campbell did not inform the City Council of the letter or its contents.
Three weeks later, on November 9th, Mayor Campbell received a forwarded copy of a letter sent to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Marshall Stranberg, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Revenue. The letter stated that any money not legally pledged for bond service debt would be withheld from the city DeFuniak Springs due to its failure to submit the required financial reports for Fiscal Year 2013-14. The letter was signed by Ms. DuBose and a copy was sent to Mayor Campbell. Mayor Campbell did not inform the City Council of the letter or its contents.
On the same day, Ms. Dubose sent a letter directly to Mayor Campbell, signed for by Cecilia Alford, in which Ms. DuBose outlined the details of the planned withholding of funds described in her letter to the state. A copy of this letter was also enclosed and addressed to Sara Bowers and intended for the City Council. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Ms. Bowers informed the Council of the letter or its contents.
Two months later, on January 20, 2016, the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee sent an email which contained copies of the certified letters sent to the city regarding the state having withheld $89,687 in half-cent sales tax revenue from the city. The email was sent to Mayor Campbell and Ms. Bowers. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Ms. Bowers informed the Council of the email or its contents.
On January 28, Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Cindy Permenter received an email from Debbie White, a CPA analyst with the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. Ms. White stated that an additional $74,581 had been withheld from the city. None of the recipients informed the Council of the email or its contents.
About 10 days later, Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Ms. Permenter received another email from Ms. DuBose stating that some but not all of the required documentation had been received. The email urged the city to get the required reports to the state by Feb. 15 or face losing more money.
Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Ms. Permenter did not inform the Council of the email or its contents.
On February 9, 2016, Mayor Campbell received a copy of a letter sent by Ms. DuBose to CFO Atwater and DOR Director Stranberg informing them that the State Auditing Committee had finally received the required reports from DeFuniak Springs regarding its 2013-14 annual financial report and audit. No further funds would be withheld. Mayor Campbell did not inform the Council of the letter or its contents.
Sadly, eight months later, on Nov. 3, 2016, the entire process started all over again. Mayor Campbell received another certified letter from Ms. DuBose stating that her agency had not received the required financial reports for Fiscal Year 2014-15 and warned that state revenue funds would be withheld again if the city failed to do so. This certified letter was signed for by former city Finance Director Joe Brown. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Mr. Brown informed the Council of the letter or its contents.
On February 6, Mayor Campbell was notified that the state would be withholding state revenue funds unless the required financial reports were received by March 9.
It was during this period that Interim City Manager Tilman Mears discovered the problem and brought the matter to the attention of the City Council.
Over two months later, on May 19, 2017, Ms. DuBose notified CFO Atwater and the Department of Revenue that the required 2014-2015 reports from the city of DeFuniak had finally been received and the city should be removed from the state’s withholding list.
Recently, in an email to City Attorney Clayton Adkinson, dated June 1, 2017, Roger Hinson of the Department of Revenue stated that, in summary, $65,068 was withheld in 2015, $49,933 was withheld in 2016 and $105,944 was withheld in 2017. That is a grand total of $220,945 of revenue the city of DeFuniak Springs has lost, due to the gross negligence of city staff and Mayor Bob Campbell, whose name was on every document.
To date, Mayor Bob Campbell’s actions have cost the City almost 1/4 million dollars in lost revenue that the City cannot recoup. At any time during the course of these events Mayor Campbell could and should have at the very least dropped the letters in the mailboxes provided to every Council member to avoid the appearance of meeting out of the Sunshine and failed to do so.
In Mr. Adkinson’s June 6 report to the Council, he stated:
“It is clear from the documents, that the City apparently received those documents. However, what is missing from these documents is any response from the City in regards to any of the certified letters that were forwarded to the City.
During my discussion with Ms. White, she advised that the reason the Committee had taken the action it did, was that the Committee had never received any response from the city.”
The City did not receive those documents Mayor Campbell did and failed to get them to Council.
The letter was addressed to Mayor Campbell and signed for by Cecilia Alford. Mayor Campbell did not inform the City Council of the letter or its contents.
Three weeks later, on November 9th, Mayor Campbell received a forwarded copy of a letter sent to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Marshall Stranberg, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Revenue. The letter stated that any money not legally pledged for bond service debt would be withheld from the city DeFuniak Springs due to its failure to submit the required financial reports for Fiscal Year 2013-14. The letter was signed by Ms. DuBose and a copy was sent to Mayor Campbell. Mayor Campbell did not inform the City Council of the letter or its contents.
On the same day, Ms. Dubose sent a letter directly to Mayor Campbell, signed for by Cecilia Alford, in which Ms. DuBose outlined the details of the planned withholding of funds described in her letter to the state. A copy of this letter was also enclosed and addressed to Sara Bowers and intended for the City Council. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Ms. Bowers informed the Council of the letter or its contents.
Two months later, on January 20, 2016, the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee sent an email which contained copies of the certified letters sent to the city regarding the state having withheld $89,687 in half-cent sales tax revenue from the city. The email was sent to Mayor Campbell and Ms. Bowers. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Ms. Bowers informed the Council of the email or its contents.
On January 28, Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Cindy Permenter received an email from Debbie White, a CPA analyst with the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. Ms. White stated that an additional $74,581 had been withheld from the city. None of the recipients informed the Council of the email or its contents.
About 10 days later, Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Ms. Permenter received another email from Ms. DuBose stating that some but not all of the required documentation had been received. The email urged the city to get the required reports to the state by Feb. 15 or face losing more money.
Mayor Campbell, Ms. Bowers and Ms. Permenter did not inform the Council of the email or its contents.
On February 9, 2016, Mayor Campbell received a copy of a letter sent by Ms. DuBose to CFO Atwater and DOR Director Stranberg informing them that the State Auditing Committee had finally received the required reports from DeFuniak Springs regarding its 2013-14 annual financial report and audit. No further funds would be withheld. Mayor Campbell did not inform the Council of the letter or its contents.
Sadly, eight months later, on Nov. 3, 2016, the entire process started all over again. Mayor Campbell received another certified letter from Ms. DuBose stating that her agency had not received the required financial reports for Fiscal Year 2014-15 and warned that state revenue funds would be withheld again if the city failed to do so. This certified letter was signed for by former city Finance Director Joe Brown. Neither Mayor Campbell nor Mr. Brown informed the Council of the letter or its contents.
On February 6, Mayor Campbell was notified that the state would be withholding state revenue funds unless the required financial reports were received by March 9.
It was during this period that Interim City Manager Tilman Mears discovered the problem and brought the matter to the attention of the City Council.
Over two months later, on May 19, 2017, Ms. DuBose notified CFO Atwater and the Department of Revenue that the required 2014-2015 reports from the city of DeFuniak had finally been received and the city should be removed from the state’s withholding list.
Recently, in an email to City Attorney Clayton Adkinson, dated June 1, 2017, Roger Hinson of the Department of Revenue stated that, in summary, $65,068 was withheld in 2015, $49,933 was withheld in 2016 and $105,944 was withheld in 2017. That is a grand total of $220,945 of revenue the city of DeFuniak Springs has lost, due to the gross negligence of city staff and Mayor Bob Campbell, whose name was on every document.
To date, Mayor Bob Campbell’s actions have cost the City almost 1/4 million dollars in lost revenue that the City cannot recoup. At any time during the course of these events Mayor Campbell could and should have at the very least dropped the letters in the mailboxes provided to every Council member to avoid the appearance of meeting out of the Sunshine and failed to do so.
In Mr. Adkinson’s June 6 report to the Council, he stated:
“It is clear from the documents, that the City apparently received those documents. However, what is missing from these documents is any response from the City in regards to any of the certified letters that were forwarded to the City.
During my discussion with Ms. White, she advised that the reason the Committee had taken the action it did, was that the Committee had never received any response from the city.”
The City did not receive those documents Mayor Campbell did and failed to get them to Council.
And they continue to be elected and re-elected!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!