Non-Partisan Candidate Forums

Perhaps it was due to his ability to spend massive amounts of county money. That new website the county has was purchased for $25,000.00 and that doesn't include support and upgrades. I'm betting there is a local company (like CySy) that could have done as good or better. I realize CySy is in Bay County, but that's better than Kansas.

SWGB,
I don't think Chris Mitchel would have had the athority to hand out a no bid no BCC review $25,000 contract. Wouldn't this have had to have gone through a cometitve bid process and approved or denied by the BCC? Do you know if any local companies even attempted to bid for the project? Do you know if any of the local companies had an experience doing that type of work before? I just don't think you can lay the purchase of the web site completly at Chris Mitchel's feet. Thier would have been several steps to the process with the board haveing to approve of the contract.

SWGB,
I don't think Chris Mitchel would have had the athority to hand out a no bid no BCC review $25,000 contract. Wouldn't this have had to have gone through a cometitve bid process and approved or denied by the BCC? Do you know if any local companies even attempted to bid for the project? Do you know if any of the local companies had an experience doing that type of work before? I just don't think you can lay the purchase of the web site completly at Chris Mitchel's feet. Thier would have been several steps to the process with the board haveing to approve of the contract.

Unless someone is breaking the law the board has to approve expenditures. A policy can be established that grants individuals the ability to buy items under a certain price level before the spending is approved. Items over a certain amount must also be bid out.
I was told that Commander's beef with Mitchell had nothing to do with county business but stemmed from his involvement in a non-profit that was a rival to one she is involved with. Maybe someone "in the know" can explain or comment.

Unless someone is breaking the law the board has to approve expenditures. A policy can be established that grants individuals the ability to buy items under a certain price level before the spending is approved. Items over a certain amount must also be bid out.
I was told that Commander's beef with Mitchell had nothing to do with county business but stemmed from his involvement in a non-profit that was a rival to one she is involved with. Maybe someone "in the know" can explain or comment.

May I suggest you try Sara herself? While I am sure you think she may lie to you about the situation, I don't think that would be the case. She has stated that people terminated by the county were not doing their job to the extent desired. Her phone number is:835-4834. Though I'm far from being "in the know", I am a strong Comander supporter and believe she has done nothing but good for the county overall.

May I suggest you try Sara herself? While I am sure you think she may lie to you about the situation, I don't think that would be the case. She has stated that people terminated by the county were not doing their job to the extent desired. Her phone number is:835-4834. Though I'm far from being "in the know", I am a strong Comander supporter and believe she has done nothing but good for the county overall.

May I suggest you do a public records request on those employees performance evaluation? Because those will show her for what she is.
Oh wait, she don't believe in public records, it cost us all $250,000 to find that out.

May I suggest you do a public records request on those employees performance evaluation? Because those will show her for what she is.
Oh wait, she don't believe in public records, it cost us all $250,000 to find that out.

Now Ro

May I suggest you do a public records request on those employees performance evaluation? Because those will show her for what she is.
Oh wait, she don't believe in public records, it cost us all $250,000 to find that out.

You evidently know little about human resources in government. While I may not know much, I do have a fair assessment of the personnel field as I worked as a personnel specialist for the state of Oklahoma for six years and as a state employee for 17. I know enough to know that employee performance evaluation are not releasable to the public. At least I have never heard of it happening but maybe you know something I don't.
The last I heard, we have a county commission consisting of five members. It takes a quorum to make any decision and that certainly would include personnel matters. They might then pass their decision or recommendation on to the county administrator but NO ONE COMMISSIONER has the power or authority to fire anybody.
The only commissioner to vote against the proposed budget increase was Sara Comander. It would be my guess the other four are pretty unhappy with her at this point because the next budget hearing is going to be a doozy.
Choctawjesse, it is my fervent hope you garner a better understanding of how local government really functions.

You evidently know little about human resources in government. While I may not know much, I do have a fair assessment of the personnel field as I worked as a personnel specialist for the state of Oklahoma for six years and as a state employee for 17. I know enough to know that employee performance evaluation are not releasable to the public. At least I have never heard of it happening but maybe you know something I don't.
The last I heard, we have a county commission consisting of five members. It takes a quorum to make any decision and that certainly would include personnel matters. They might then pass their decision or recommendation on to the county administrator but NO ONE COMMISSIONER has the power or authority to fire anybody.
The only commissioner to vote against the proposed budget increase was Sara Comander. It would be my guess the other four are pretty unhappy with her at this point because the next budget hearing is going to be a doozy.
Choctawjesse, it is my fervent hope you garner a better understanding of how local government really functions.

Buddy i know exactly how local government works unfortunately. You are the one who needs a lesson. In FLORIDA employee evaluations are public record. And while a commissioner cannot fire an employee they can fire the administrator.
You should start listening to other people besides sara if you want the truth.

Buddy i know exactly how local government works unfortunately. You are the one who needs a lesson. In FLORIDA employee evaluations are public record. And while a commissioner cannot fire an employee they can fire the administrator.
You should start listening to other people besides sara if you want the truth.

CJ, you are right. I was unaware the FLORIDA employee's evaluations are public record. OKLAHOMA's are not. I am fully supportive of an open public records law, but this is ridiculous. Every employee should be up in arms! A person's evaluation report is between him or her and their immediate supervisor and his supervisor not the general public. To do otherwise destroys the ability of the supervisor to be frank with and consel their employee. What a law!
It is not that I have no understanding of government or need a lesson in how it operates. It is Florida government that I need a tutorial on. I am suddenly saddened at the plight of Florida employees at all levels if this, is indeed true, and I have been told it is. As far as any assessment regarding Commissioner Comander's truthfulness is concerned, I'll take her word over yours anyday as you have been less than forthright in where you're coming from.
On to another issue. One commissioner cannot fire the administrator. It takes a quorum, as I said in an earlier post.
It would appear that you, CJ, are one of two things, maybe both. You are either a disgruntled county employee or involved in
Ro Cuchen's campaign. I have been straight forward in my information and who I support and why. Would you please do likewise. Oh, and one thing more. I am not your buddy.

CJ, you are right. I was unaware the FLORIDA employee's evaluations are public record. OKLAHOMA's are not. I am fully supportive of an open public records law, but this is ridiculous. Every employee should be up in arms! A person's evaluation report is between him or her and their immediate supervisor and his supervisor not the general public. To do otherwise destroys the ability of the supervisor to be frank with and consel their employee. What a law!
It is not that I have no understanding of government or need a lesson in how it operates. It is Florida government that I need a tutorial on. I am suddenly saddened at the plight of Florida employees at all levels if this, is indeed true, and I have been told it is. As far as any assessment regarding Commissioner Comander's truthfulness is concerned, I'll take her word over yours anyday as you have been less than forthright in where you're coming from.
On to another issue. One commissioner cannot fire the administrator. It takes a quorum, as I said in an earlier post.
It would appear that you, CJ, are one of two things, maybe both. You are either a disgruntled county employee or involved in
Ro Cuchen's campaign. I have been straight forward in my information and who I support and why. Would you please do likewise. Oh, and one thing more. I am not your buddy.

A. I am not a Walton county employee, disgruntled or otherwise
B. I am not involved in any campaign yet, given no money, put no signs out, talked to no candidate about doing anything for them.
C. I will vote for Ro, he is a good man whose word you can count on. I know this from how he treated people when he was commissioner before.
D. I would not vote for Sara no matter who was running, I have too many friends she has hurt. Some of them are county employees still and no I will not name them because I don't want anything bad to happen to them.
E. If you think the administrator would not fire an employee on the word of one commissioner you truly don't understand how Walton County works. The only way he would not do it is if he knew two of the others were against it. He can't afford to make them mad at him so what is a employee or two?

Is that straightforward enough for you? By the way, Buddy is a southern slang term, no implication of any relationship.

A. I am not a Walton county employee, disgruntled or otherwise
B. I am not involved in any campaign yet, given no money, put no signs out, talked to no candidate about doing anything for them.
C. I will vote for Ro, he is a good man whose word you can count on. I know this from how he treated people when he was commissioner before.
D. I would not vote for Sara no matter who was running, I have too many friends she has hurt. Some of them are county employees still and no I will not name them because I don't want anything bad to happen to them.
E. If you think the administrator would not fire an employee on the word of one commissioner you truly don't understand how Walton County works. The only way he would not do it is if he knew two of the others were against it. He can't afford to make them mad at him so what is a employee or two?

Is that straightforward enough for you? By the way, Buddy is a southern slang term, no implication of any relationship.

Let me answer your response in the order in which it was made, CJ.
A. Since you are not a disgruntled county employee, but know some, you are a Ro supporter. I accept that. It is the American way. Our votes will obviously offset one another's.
B. I would be more than happy to be involved in Sara's campaign as I think it is the right and privilege of every citizen to be a part of their governmental function if they so desire. Sorry you don't feel that way. It is your candidate's loss but I will support mine in any way possible. It is the American way.
C. I do not doubt Ro is a good man. He did the citizens of Walton County a disservice when during the building of the seawalls he had sand many grades darker than that required piled up at the BMB access. He had to be challenged by a local group to remove it and not until they challenged him was it removed. I also feel he does "favors" for his friends while in office. I am tired of the good ol' boy way of government in Walton County. Everyone is entitled to vote for who they wish but hopefully they will reseach the candidates before they do so. It is the American way.
D. It might be that those friends of yours supposedly "hurt" by Sara deserved "hurting". There is always the chance that they were not doing what they were suppose to do or doing something they shouldn't be doing. On the matter of not naming them, I couldn't agree more but not for the reason you cited. If Sara or any other single Commissioner were to act in an underhanded manner in a personnel dispute it would be considered malfeasance in office and reason for reprimand or removal from office. It is the American way.
E. If Walton County indeed works this way, we need to continue the change Sara Comander has begun toward a more foreward moving and modern operated county. Rozier Cuchens would be a step toward the past. If you really feel a county administrator would act in the manner you described, you have little or no faith in our system of government. That is your perogative. It is the American way.
Finally, looking at an employee's performance evaluation as allowed under Florida law is completely useless. No supervisor is going to put in writing anything showing an employee's incompetence if their is a chance the general public can see it. This part of the "open records" law needs to be changed. It is unfair to both the supervisor and the individual being rated. What a farce!
Also, having served 21 years in the military I am well aware of the various nuances, good and bad, of the word "buddy".