Walton County Commissioner Brannon accused of ethics violations

I would much rather have someone err on the side of recusing themselves when there is a potential conflict than have people failling to do so and making decisions about the dealings of their business partners. Not people they have done business with or have been part of a deal with, but people they have formed corporations and legal partnerships with.

A good analogy might be that Jones thinks there could be a conflict (or appearance of one) if he votes on something concerning an ex-girlfriend and Brannon sees no conflict when he and his wife have something before the board.

It has always been my understanding that any government official on any board can recuse him/herself for any reason and they don't necessarily have to say what it is.

It is governed by statute and they have to submit a form of some sort if memory is working correctly. I will try to find the statute this weekend and post it. There have to be some rules otherwise someone could just vote 'present' all the time and never make a decision either way because they felt that they had a conflict.

wrobert, apparently you have never heard of political favors and political paypacks. People and businesses often contribute to a politicians campaign in hoping for favorable outcomes if ever needed in the future. (By no means am I suggesting that Comm L Jones is on the take. I simply note that political payback can come at great expense, and that it is well known that this is the way the gov't typically works in this Country.)

Perhaps Comm L Jones doesn't want anyone wrongly accusing him of ethical violations.

And how does one go about getting in on this? I have not had much luck myself.

wrobert, you have to go after bigger fish, ie- use bigger bait.

View the BCC video on this link

I guess not everyone attends the County Commissioner Mtgs. Oh, well. I guess late is better than never. Sorry I missed the last one -- and people say County Gov't is boring. It's better than any prime-time television, at least more entertaining.

Walton Democrats Video/Media | Welcome to the Democratic Party of Walton County

wrobert, you have to go after bigger fish, ie- use bigger bait.

Try rebuilding giant green roadside relics, display oversized flags or connect some related dots.

It is governed by statute and they have to submit a form of some sort if memory is working correctly. I will try to find the statute this weekend and post it. There have to be some rules otherwise someone could just vote 'present' all the time and never make a decision either way because they felt that they had a conflict.

Thank you, wrobert. You are always entitled to "abstain" as far as I know as well. Hmmm..."Present"? Shades of Obama.

Thank you, wrobert. You are always entitled to "abstain" as far as I know as well. Hmmm..."Present"? Shades of Obama.

112.3143
[SIZE=-1](3)(a) No county, municipal, or other local public officer shall vote in an official capacity upon any measure which would inure to his or her special private gain or loss; which he or she knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of any principal by whom he or she is retained or to the parent organization or subsidiary of a corporate principal by which he or she is retained, other than an agency as defined in s. 112.312(2); or which he or she knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of a relative or business associate of the public officer. Such public officer shall, prior to the vote being taken, publicly state to the assembly the nature of the officer's interest in the matter from which he or she is abstaining from voting and, within 15 days after the vote occurs, disclose the nature of his or her interest as a public record in a memorandum filed with the person responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting, who shall incorporate the memorandum in the minutes.



FYI, political contributions to one's campaign on specifically exempt according to decision by the Florida Commission on Ethics, that I cam across. Unless there is a later one that I did not see stating otherwise.


And if you do some review of the opinions of the Ethics Commission. This case seems a bit similar, http://www.ethics.state.fl.us/Opinions/09/CEO 09-002.htm, and I read it to say no conflict would exist in Scott's situation.
[/SIZE]

I know you have supported some of my views, but I accused no one of being a crook. I posted my reply to Sam Story. The connection is clear and I presented the proof. I'm sorry I offended you.
Alan

Alan, when you say someone violated the law, that is the same as calling them a crook IMHO. I am not offended, but I bet those named sure are.

Alan, when you say someone violated the law, that is the same as calling them a crook IMHO. I am not offended, but I bet those named sure are.

Well if those named, did what I quoted in the above statute in this thread. They should be offended, either by their actions or the advice somebody gave them on the actions they were dealing with.

I'll move forward towards getting a fair, complete and open hearing on the Driftwood issues that have come to light. Testimony that was given to the BCC, the County and State courts, that put our homeowners in this situation has been "tainted" IMHO. We are going to be allowed to present this information or we'll have to see why ethically we can't seem to get a open discussion on this out in the "Sunshine" .
I think June will be five years the Driftwood owners have been dealing with this. We are still in the same place as far as "compliance" from a MAJOR development order, We have SUBSTANTIALLY deviated it and nobody wants to admit it. The system is "BROKE" and I'm sick of it.

Alan....keep up with your mission! Myself and others became so frustrated with the county system that we gave up and caved in....which I regret, but it is so hard to live day to day being consumed by anger, dismay and frustration because of the unfairness. I applaud you and your tenacity...please don't give up!

It's not the first time a Co. Commissioner for Walton Co. has been caught in real estate transactions. I had a near miss with one a few years ago......poor guy literally went under.

Nothing wrong with having real estate dealings, but when a Commissioner uses (or, it appears) his/her position on the Board to benefit their real estate development dealings, that's unethical.

Tim Pauls combined 3 interior residential lots with a commercial building on 30A,
sold it as a developement for lots of $$$$$$ and the dump remains an abandoned eyesore to this day.............:angry:

Well if those named, did what I quoted in the above statute in this thread. They should be offended, either by their actions or the advice somebody gave them on the actions they were dealing with.

I'll move forward towards getting a fair, complete and open hearing on the Driftwood issues that have come to light. Testimony that was given to the BCC, the County and State courts, that put our homeowners in this situation has been "tainted" IMHO. We are going to be allowed to present this information or we'll have to see why ethically we can't seem to get a open discussion on this out in the "Sunshine" .
I think June will be five years the Driftwood owners have been dealing with this. We are still in the same place as far as "compliance" from a MAJOR development order, We have SUBSTANTIALLY deviated it and nobody wants to admit it. The system is "BROKE" and I'm sick of it.

Could you define "fair, complete and open" hearing? After five years of talking to the BCC, I would think complete and open have been achieved. As to fair, that probably is in the eye of the beholder.

I don't have a direct interest either way, but throwing names around with no proof tends to chill participation in the political process, and I have a problem with that. This should have went to the State Ethic Board prior to being discussed in a BCC meeting. They have no jurisdiction anyway. The whole exercise smells of grandstanding.

It seems to me that Okaloosa people knew of wrongdoing and did nothing ( see today's NWFDN where one developer said " we all knew something was going on") and in Walton County people are throwing officials under the bus on a whim. Can't we achieve some balance here?

Alan, when you say someone violated the law, that is the same as calling them a crook IMHO. I am not offended, but I bet those named sure are.

How the heck do you come to that conclusion? It doesn't work 100%, though in some cases where the violation is theft, it would apply. I get your point, but I think you are using the word "crook," too loosely.

Could you define "fair, complete and open" hearing? After five years of talking to the BCC, I would think complete and open have been achieved. As to fair, that probably is in the eye of the beholder.

I don't have a direct interest either way, but throwing names around with no proof tends to chill participation in the political process, and I have a problem with that. This should have went to the State Ethic Board prior to being discussed in a BCC meeting. They have no jurisdiction anyway. The whole exercise smells of grandstanding.

It seems to me that Okaloosa people knew of wrongdoing and did nothing ( see today's NWFDN where one developer said " we all knew something was going on") and in Walton County people are throwing officials under the bus on a whim. Can't we achieve some balance here?

I won't belabor the point and turn this into a personal debate between you and I. I know how you feel and you know how I feel. I respect your right to disagree with me.

The Conditions

But give me this. The residents and myself all know that we have a serious problem in Driftwood, we live it every day. We are part of a HIGH Density neighborhood that doesn't conform to county standards, the County uses a State level comp plan (DRI) as the excuse. We are bound to covenents and restrictions put in place as a part of Sandestin, They were written by Sandestin, our roads are bonded at the request of Sandestin by the county. A MSBU we paid for! The residents pay dues for Capital Contributions to maintain common area's. Yet they don't have the right to set foot on them according to Sandestin, and the County seems to think we don't have a right to full compliance with a development order. How do I acheive balance in that?

Solution

I left this part simple, You don't like my Solution, so given the above conditions please fill in the answer under the solution block to the above problem.

Here's my answer

A. Make both Sandestin and the Developers follow the the rules they both wrote and they agreed to with the State and the County. The fullest possible compliance.

I'll await your answer and the people of sowal can put thank you's under the answer they most agree with. Fair enough?

But give me this. The residents and myself all know that we have a serious problem in Driftwood, we live it every day. We are part of a HIGH Density neighborhood that doesn't conform to county standards, the County uses a State level comp plan (DRI) as the excuse. We are bound to covenents and restrictions put in place as a part of Sandestin, They were written by Sandestin, our roads are bonded at the request of Sandestin by the county. A MSBU we paid for! The residents pay dues for Capital Contributions to maintain common area's. Yet they don't have the right to set foot on them according to Sandestin, and the County seems to think we don't have a right to full compliance with a development order. How do I acheive balance in that?

That's the first time I've heard that Alan. What are your quarterly contributions per homeowner?

Tim Pauls combined 3 interior residential lots with a commercial building on 30A,
sold it as a developement for lots of $$$$$$ and the dump remains an abandoned eyesore to this day.............:angry:

Yeah, this was an instance in my 'being a day late' was the Universe totally looking out for me! Then, his dealings really started unfolding - is he still around in Walton Co., BTW?

Yeah, this was an instance in my 'being a day late' was the Universe totally looking out for me! Then, his dealings really started unfolding - is he still around in Walton Co., BTW?

Yes, he built Topsail Village over on the West end of 30A. It's a dump that will most likely never be completed. His wife runs it like her very own personal kingdom. Once the owners who got royally screwed buying those dumps get wise she'll probably be getting a visit from the DBPR.

Please note that Alan has said both on Sowal and in the Sun, that he IS pursuing this further through the proper channels and that his beef is not with Brannon, but with the way things are being done on the grand scale.

Major kudos to Alan for taking the time, effort, and heat for sticking up for all of us. A lot of things slide because we aren't willing to put in this kind of time and effort. All he's asking is that the county does what they promised to do in writing. Pretty low standard IMO.

P.S. If anyone is keeping track this would be the 3rd official ethics violation for Brannon. He copped a plea to the first 2.

Please note that Alan has said both on Sowal and in the Sun, that he IS pursuing this further through the proper channels and that his beef is not with Brannon, but with the way things are being done on the grand scale.

Major kudos to Alan for taking the time, effort, and heat for sticking up for all of us. A lot of things slide because we aren't willing to put in this kind of time and effort. All he's asking is that the county does what they promised to do in writing. Pretty low standard IMO.

P.S. If anyone is keeping track this would be the 3rd official ethics violation for Brannon. He copped a plea to the first 2.

Both of those were pleas?

I think the question that keeps being asked is why the publicity and not just the pursuit in official channels, unless someone was trying to play gotcha.

... and in Walton County people are throwing officials under the bus on a whim.

The passion & the details & the perseverence with which Mr Osborne has been pushing this issue hardly qualify this as a "whim." Please.

Yes, he built Topsail Village over on the West end of 30A. It's a dump that will most likely never be completed. His wife runs it like her very own personal kingdom. Once the owners who got royally screwed buying those dumps get wise she'll probably be getting a visit from the DBPR.

Yep, that's it. He did more than that as well. It could have been an abuse of power and not sure if he ever went before an ethics hearing. I simply looked at it as karma........his thing definitely came full circle on him. I never had to say a word, which is how I prefer my life to unfold. ;-)

I won't belabor the point and turn this into a personal debate between you and I. I know how you feel and you know how I feel. I respect your right to disagree with me.

The Conditions

But give me this. The residents and myself all know that we have a serious problem in Driftwood, we live it every day. We are part of a HIGH Density neighborhood that doesn't conform to county standards, the County uses a State level comp plan (DRI) as the excuse. We are bound to covenents and restrictions put in place as a part of Sandestin, They were written by Sandestin, our roads are bonded at the request of Sandestin by the county. A MSBU we paid for! The residents pay dues for Capital Contributions to maintain common area's. Yet they don't have the right to set foot on them according to Sandestin, and the County seems to think we don't have a right to full compliance with a development order. How do I acheive balance in that?

Solution

I left this part simple, You don't like my Solution, so given the above conditions please fill in the answer under the solution block to the above problem.

Here's my answer

A. Make both Sandestin and the Developers follow the the rules they both wrote and they agreed to with the State and the County. The fullest possible compliance.

I'll await your answer and the people of sowal can put thank you's under the answer they most agree with. Fair enough?

I agree that you and yours seems to be getting the royal ***** job from SanDestin. I think the courts should be the proper venue to force them to keep their word. Most people without an interest in this issue would be on your side.
But, you lose me with this grandstand play on Mr. Brannon. While you probably achieved your goal ( publicity for your cause) many people without an interest in this issue think such tactics are unfair. I am one of them. Thus, while you may gain in the short-term, I believe you damage your cause in the long-term.
As to a "thank you" vote, I really don't care. My sense of right/wrong does not change at the whim of the crowd.
Best of luck to you.

That's the first time I've heard that Alan. What are your quarterly contributions per homeowner?

I think we paid about 14K per lot for the MSBU and about 250 per quarter for the HOA.