‘multiple complaints’ of DeFuniak wrongdoing.
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS – The State Attorney’s Office is investigating “multiple complaints” of financial mismanagement within DeFuniak Springs city government.
First Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Tuesday morning his office has launched a preliminary review of the city’s “financial operations.”
Complaints received “include questions about delays in filing the proper paperwork to receive sales tax money from the state in a timely fashion,” Eddins said.
City Attorney Clayton Adkinson filed a report June 6 notifying the DeFuniak Springs governing board that the city had lost nearly $221,000 in the last two years by failing to file state required audits and annual financial reports on time.
The investigation will be led by Assistant State Attorney Clifton Drake and overseen by Greg Anchors, the chief assistant state attorney in Walton County, Eddins said. It could take “several weeks or months” to complete.
“Because of the nature of the complaints multiple witnesses will be interviewed and financial and other records will be obtained,” Eddins said.
Eddins said his office will decide after the initial investigation is completed whether further action is warranted.
“It’s possible we will simply file a report, as we have done in the past, but it’s also possible at the conclusion of the investigation we will announce our intention to present information to a grand jury,” he said.
www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20170725/state-attorneys-office-investigating-multiple-complaints-of-defuniak-wrongdoing
Replies
34
Beach Fanatic
Well, at a minimum, it's something.
Whether or not his office does anything is a whole other story. They are good about dog and pony shows with little or no results because of the "political" issues it might cause, right Bill?
Whether or not his office does anything is a whole other story. They are good about dog and pony shows with little or no results because of the "political" issues it might cause, right Bill?
Beach FanaticAuthor
Well, at a minimum, it's something.
Whether or not his office does anything is a whole other story. They are good about dog and pony shows with little or no results because of the "political" issues it might cause, right Bill?
I learned from the Walton County Grand Jury investigation not to expect anything.
I won't be disappointed. Bob Campbell was busy as hell this morning giving press conferences trying to cover his own behind and blaming everyone but himself. He's a joke.
Beach Fanatic
WJHG Ch. 7 confirms reporter in DFS today.
Beach FanaticAuthor
WJHG Ch. 7 confirms reporter in DFS today.
I saw them.
Beach Fanatic
Is anyone in Walton County politics not a crook?
Beach Lover
Is anyone in Walton County politics not a crook?
Hmmm? Maybe not ALL, but I'd think well over half! Crooks, thieves, liars, Bible thumping hypocrites, adulterors, low life POS, alcoholics, drug addicts and the list goes on... And on!
Leadership at its finest!
And they continue to be elected and re-elected!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!Beach FanaticAuthor
Watch WJHG for more of the Mayor's BS tomorrow. It's going to be a one man comedy show. 
Beach Fanatic
It sounds like there is most likely some sort of evidence of collusion with Mr. mayor, ex-finance guy and ex-council guy (now over planning).
Their inability to perform a basic fiduciary duty to the community is in question.
I recall ex-council guy telling the audience at a formal meeting that the letters received were "standard" and lots of cities get them...
Do lots of cities get investegated by the State?
Their inability to perform a basic fiduciary duty to the community is in question.
I recall ex-council guy telling the audience at a formal meeting that the letters received were "standard" and lots of cities get them...
Do lots of cities get investegated by the State?
Beach FanaticAuthor
First of all the "City" is not being investigated. Mayor Bob Campbell is. He is the only person remaining at City Hall who received those documents and failed to turn them over to council 9 different times.
If the City Attorney had done the right thing he would have turned his findings from the State Auditor over to the State Atty. himself. Instead, others went to the State Atty. asking that something be done.
The Mayor should be asked how many times he met with BCC Planning Director Mac Carpenter in his office while Carpenter was still and elected councilman, OUT of the Sunshine. Better yet, eye witnesses can tell you how many times the BCC vehicle Mac Carpenter uses was parked at City Hall during those "meetings". Ask the Walton County Planning Director Mac Carpenter to tell you what he said about those documents from the State Auditor during a very public Council meeting...better yet, I'll tell you what he said and this is a direct quote "Those letters mean nothing, every City get's them"! Those letters meant just what they said and the City lost 1/4 million dollars in revenue because of it. County Administrator Larry Jones even counseled then City Councilman Mac Carpenter then a planning dept. employee about the use of a county vehicle being used to conduct City business and put a stop to it.
Bob Campbell and Mac Carpenter wanted the interim City Manager Tilman Mears gone which was ultimately the result and concocted the story that Tilman Mears also received those letters from the State, which he did not. There is 1 name on the majority of those documents...Mayor Bob Campbell.
If the City Attorney had done the right thing he would have turned his findings from the State Auditor over to the State Atty. himself. Instead, others went to the State Atty. asking that something be done.
The Mayor should be asked how many times he met with BCC Planning Director Mac Carpenter in his office while Carpenter was still and elected councilman, OUT of the Sunshine. Better yet, eye witnesses can tell you how many times the BCC vehicle Mac Carpenter uses was parked at City Hall during those "meetings". Ask the Walton County Planning Director Mac Carpenter to tell you what he said about those documents from the State Auditor during a very public Council meeting...better yet, I'll tell you what he said and this is a direct quote "Those letters mean nothing, every City get's them"! Those letters meant just what they said and the City lost 1/4 million dollars in revenue because of it. County Administrator Larry Jones even counseled then City Councilman Mac Carpenter then a planning dept. employee about the use of a county vehicle being used to conduct City business and put a stop to it.
Bob Campbell and Mac Carpenter wanted the interim City Manager Tilman Mears gone which was ultimately the result and concocted the story that Tilman Mears also received those letters from the State, which he did not. There is 1 name on the majority of those documents...Mayor Bob Campbell.
Beach FanaticAuthor
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.
Beach Fanatic
That's a very detailed time line and summary.
Sounds like the State has had their job done for them...
Sounds like the State has had their job done for them...
Beach FanaticAuthor
More money Missing in Defuniak Springs...
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced. Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — The State Attorney’s Office has expanded its investigation of DeFuniak Springs spending habits to include determining the whereabouts of $368,063 the city obtained through a 2014 legal settlement with British Petroleum.
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced,” said Bill Eddins, the state attorney for Florida’s First Judicial Circuit. “Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
Eddins’ office initiated an investigation in July into complaints of fiscal mismanagement within the city. Those complaints included questions about delays in filing the paperwork needed to receive sales tax money from the state.
City officials learned in June that it had lost almost $221,000 in sales tax revenues and municipal revenue sharing funds over a two-year period by failing to file state required audits and annual financial reports on time.
That investigation remains open, and when it is complete, Eddins said, his office will present its findings to a grand jury.
No determination has yet been made as to whether there are questions surrounding the expenditure of the BP money, but if it turns out that there are, Eddins said, the grand jury will look into that too.
“At this point no determination has been made (that) there is a discrepancy, there may be none,” he said. “We have not verified that at this point.”
Evidence DeFuniak Springs received $368,063 from BP from a legal settlement can be found in an audit report put together for the city by the accounting firm of Saltmarsh Cleaveland & Gunn.
The report, dated Sept. 30, 2015, shows that the city obtained “funds related to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” during fiscal 2014-15 and spent it within that same year.
There is no indication within the report as to when or how the $368,063 was spent and city council member Kermit Wright said no one within city administration has offered a plausible explanation.
Wright said he’s not even aware of how the city got the money in the first place.
“I was being interviewed by the state attorney and he asked me about $400,000. I said, ‘News to me,’ ” Wright said.
Walton County received $3.35 million and the county’s Tourist Development Council received $4.28 million in March 2014 when BP settled lawsuits filed following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
DeFuniak Springs City Attorney Clayton Adkinson said the city settled its own lawsuit with BP at about the same time the county did.
“The money went into the city’s general fund, I assume,” Adkinson said. “That was the appropriate place for it to go. I would think it would be easily traceable.”
The audit report that denotes the receipt and expenditure of the $368,063 BP legal settlement points out several areas in which the city had not taken proper care of its money. It states the city failed to write off bad debts, recorded grant funds incorrectly and did not properly segregate the duties of city staff.
“Proper segregation of duties provides for a system of checks and balances such that the functions of one employee are subject to the review through the performance of the interrelated functions of another employee,” the report said. “Due to turnover in the position of finance director, the city manager performed some finance director duties during the year. These items, including the reconciliation of bank statements, were performed without adequate supervision and review.”
The auditors recommended “that the city review the internal control procedures to ensure checks and balances always exist to the greatest extent possible.”
Article by Tom McLaughlin
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced. Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — The State Attorney’s Office has expanded its investigation of DeFuniak Springs spending habits to include determining the whereabouts of $368,063 the city obtained through a 2014 legal settlement with British Petroleum.
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced,” said Bill Eddins, the state attorney for Florida’s First Judicial Circuit. “Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
Eddins’ office initiated an investigation in July into complaints of fiscal mismanagement within the city. Those complaints included questions about delays in filing the paperwork needed to receive sales tax money from the state.
City officials learned in June that it had lost almost $221,000 in sales tax revenues and municipal revenue sharing funds over a two-year period by failing to file state required audits and annual financial reports on time.
That investigation remains open, and when it is complete, Eddins said, his office will present its findings to a grand jury.
No determination has yet been made as to whether there are questions surrounding the expenditure of the BP money, but if it turns out that there are, Eddins said, the grand jury will look into that too.
“At this point no determination has been made (that) there is a discrepancy, there may be none,” he said. “We have not verified that at this point.”
Evidence DeFuniak Springs received $368,063 from BP from a legal settlement can be found in an audit report put together for the city by the accounting firm of Saltmarsh Cleaveland & Gunn.
The report, dated Sept. 30, 2015, shows that the city obtained “funds related to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” during fiscal 2014-15 and spent it within that same year.
There is no indication within the report as to when or how the $368,063 was spent and city council member Kermit Wright said no one within city administration has offered a plausible explanation.
Wright said he’s not even aware of how the city got the money in the first place.
“I was being interviewed by the state attorney and he asked me about $400,000. I said, ‘News to me,’ ” Wright said.
Walton County received $3.35 million and the county’s Tourist Development Council received $4.28 million in March 2014 when BP settled lawsuits filed following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
DeFuniak Springs City Attorney Clayton Adkinson said the city settled its own lawsuit with BP at about the same time the county did.
“The money went into the city’s general fund, I assume,” Adkinson said. “That was the appropriate place for it to go. I would think it would be easily traceable.”
The audit report that denotes the receipt and expenditure of the $368,063 BP legal settlement points out several areas in which the city had not taken proper care of its money. It states the city failed to write off bad debts, recorded grant funds incorrectly and did not properly segregate the duties of city staff.
“Proper segregation of duties provides for a system of checks and balances such that the functions of one employee are subject to the review through the performance of the interrelated functions of another employee,” the report said. “Due to turnover in the position of finance director, the city manager performed some finance director duties during the year. These items, including the reconciliation of bank statements, were performed without adequate supervision and review.”
The auditors recommended “that the city review the internal control procedures to ensure checks and balances always exist to the greatest extent possible.”
Article by Tom McLaughlin
Beach Fanatic
Wow. That is a lot of missing money...
Beach Fanatic
Hmmm? Maybe not ALL, but I'd think well over half! Crooks, thieves, liars, Bible thumping hypocrites, adulterors, low life POS, alcoholics, drug addicts and the list goes on... And on!We need people to run that give us more options. Not many takers on that score. Seeing how people talk about our elected officials doesn't exactly entice good people to want to jump right in, although Danny Glidewell has posted long enough under his own name that he looks like a good man to me.
Leadership at its finest!
Beach FanaticAuthor
We need people to run that give us more options. Not many takers on that score. Seeing how people talk about our elected officials doesn't exactly entice good people to want to jump right in, although Danny Glidewell has posted long enough under his own name that he looks like a good man to me.
Says the guy also posting under a pseudonym.
How do you sugar coat an elected officials husband pointing a gun at someone's face or threatening others with bodily harm?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have a constituent brought up on charges of violating campaign sign regulations?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have the taxpayers foot the bill for their personal attorney fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected official ordering staff to violate your First Amendment Rights?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) willingness to intentionally violate Sunshine laws repeatedly?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) micromanaging/interfering with the day to day operations of the City or County wearing their petty tyrant hat?
How do you sugar coat an elected official violating Separation of Church and State law?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to make someone who was not reelected to his City seat, the Director of Planning Dept., who worked in the Planning Department under Pat Blackshear who was responsible for almost a million dollars in missing fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to hire a Special Magistrate to hear issues on planning (in effect ignoring the LDC and Comp plans) and ramming it down the taxpayers throats when we PAY them to be OUR voice?
I could go on ALL day long but here's the bottom line...this isn't the land of milk and honey, it's not burger king where you can have it your way and everything isn't always finger lickin good. I ain't gonna sugar coat it! It is what it is.
Beach Fanatic
Says the guy also posting under a pseudonym.Kaydence, 1) I'm not interested in running for office and 2) I wasn't defending the actions of current Commissioners. Did I sugar coat something? Or are you just making the case that we need some new Commissioners? If so, HOW do we get more people to run?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials husband pointing a gun at someone's face or threatening others with bodily harm?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have a constituent brought up on charges of violating campaign sign regulations?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have the taxpayers foot the bill for their personal attorney fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected official ordering staff to violate your First Amendment Rights?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) willingness to intentionally violate Sunshine laws repeatedly?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) micromanaging/interfering with the day to day operations of the City or County wearing their petty tyrant hat?
How do you sugar coat an elected official violating Separation of Church and State law?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to make someone who was not reelected to his City seat, the Director of Planning Dept., who worked in the Planning Department under Pat Blackshear who was responsible for almost a million dollars in missing fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to hire a Special Magistrate to hear issues on planning (in effect ignoring the LDC and Comp plans) and ramming it down the taxpayers throats when we PAY them to be OUR voice?
I could go on ALL day long but here's the bottom line...this isn't the land of milk and honey, it's not burger king where you can have it your way and everything isn't always finger lickin good. I ain't gonna sugar coat it! It is what it is.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Kaydence, 1) I'm not interested in running for office and 2) I wasn't defending the actions of current Commissioners. Did I sugar coat something? Or are you just making the case that we need some new Commissioners? If so, HOW do we get more people to run?
What you said was
Seeing how people talk about our elected officials doesn't exactly entice good people to want to jump right in,
I simply asked how do you sugar coat all the things they have done? We should be talking about them, we don't pay their salaries to do this kind of crap. If they are truly good people and want to run and make good decisions, I'm all about helping support them and vote to get them elected and I'm all about calling them out when they fail.
Beach Fanatic
What you said wasI see what you were referencing now. Thanks.
I simply asked how do you sugar coat all the things they have done? We should be talking about them, we don't pay their salaries to do this kind of crap. If they are truly good people and want to run and make good decisions, I'm all about helping support them and vote to get them elected and I'm all about calling them out when they fail.
Beach Fanatic
This post and link are appropriate to a large percent of SoWal Political Posts.
Just figured it was time...
One Tin Soldier.
Just figured it was time...
One Tin Soldier.
Beach Fanatic
Says the guy also posting under a pseudonym.Bet Walton County BCC looking over their shoulders.....
How do you sugar coat an elected officials husband pointing a gun at someone's face or threatening others with bodily harm?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have a constituent brought up on charges of violating campaign sign regulations?
How do you sugar coat an elected official trying to have the taxpayers foot the bill for their personal attorney fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected official ordering staff to violate your First Amendment Rights?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) willingness to intentionally violate Sunshine laws repeatedly?
How do you sugar coat an elected official(s) micromanaging/interfering with the day to day operations of the City or County wearing their petty tyrant hat?
How do you sugar coat an elected official violating Separation of Church and State law?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to make someone who was not reelected to his City seat, the Director of Planning Dept., who worked in the Planning Department under Pat Blackshear who was responsible for almost a million dollars in missing fees?
How do you sugar coat an elected officials willingness to hire a Special Magistrate to hear issues on planning (in effect ignoring the LDC and Comp plans) and ramming it down the taxpayers throats when we PAY them to be OUR voice?
I could go on ALL day long but here's the bottom line...this isn't the land of milk and honey, it's not burger king where you can have it your way and everything isn't always finger lickin good. I ain't gonna sugar coat it! It is what it is.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Bet Walton County BCC looking over their shoulders.....
They do what they do with impunity...they don't care how they waste taxpayer money.
Beach Fanatic
This post and link are appropriate to a large percent of SoWal Political Posts.That's impactful!
Just figured it was time...
One Tin Soldier.
Beach Fanatic
That's impactful!Perfect hope Mr and Mrs Jones listened to this.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Well, well, well...it seems there is another $400 thousand dollars unaccounted for involving Sara Bowers management style. The city received the money from BP Oil as a settlement agreement and the council instructed that the money be placed in a separate account for future use. That didn't happen, it was placed in the general fund and according to the audit from Saltmarsh the money was spent but no one seems to know how or why it was spent.
The absolute beauty of all this is, in Ms. Bowers separation agreement from the City not only did she receive a lucrative settlement agreement and the City continued to pay her for months after she was gone but the settlement agreement also provided that the City would NOT hold her accountable for ANY wrongdoing. The attorney for the City, Clayton Adkinson also provided her with a job in Freeport.
Just wow!
The absolute beauty of all this is, in Ms. Bowers separation agreement from the City not only did she receive a lucrative settlement agreement and the City continued to pay her for months after she was gone but the settlement agreement also provided that the City would NOT hold her accountable for ANY wrongdoing. The attorney for the City, Clayton Adkinson also provided her with a job in Freeport.
Just wow!
Beach FanaticAuthor
www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171002/state-attorney-investigating-defuniak-springs-bp-money
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced. Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — The State Attorney’s Office has expanded its investigation of DeFuniak Springs spending habits to include determining the whereabouts of $368,063 the city obtained through a 2014 legal settlement with British Petroleum.
“Concerns have been raised by some witnesses regarding whether the expenditure of BP funds received by the city can be traced,” said Bill Eddins, the state attorney for Florida’s First Judicial Circuit. “Because of these concerns we’re going to review these issues.”
Eddins’ office initiated an investigation in July into complaints of fiscal mismanagement within the city. Those complaints included questions about delays in filing the paperwork needed to receive sales tax money from the state.
City officials learned in June that it had lost almost $221,000 in sales tax revenues and municipal revenue sharing funds over a two-year period by failing to file state required audits and annual financial reports on time.
That investigation remains open, and when it is complete, Eddins said, his office will present its findings to a grand jury.
No determination has yet been made as to whether there are questions surrounding the expenditure of the BP money, but if it turns out that there are, Eddins said, the grand jury will look into that too.
“At this point no determination has been made (that) there is a discrepancy, there may be none,” he said. “We have not verified that at this point.”
Evidence DeFuniak Springs received $368,063 from BP from a legal settlement can be found in an audit report put together for the city by the accounting firm of Saltmarsh Cleaveland & Gunn.
The report, dated Sept. 30, 2015, shows that the city obtained “funds related to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” during fiscal 2014-15 and spent it within that same year.
There is no indication within the report as to when or how the $368,063 was spent and city council member Kermit Wright said no one within city administration has offered a plausible explanation.
Wright said he’s not even aware of how the city got the money in the first place.
“I was being interviewed by the state attorney and he asked me about $400,000. I said, ‘News to me,’ ” Wright said.
Walton County received $3.35 million and the county’s Tourist Development Council received $4.28 million in March 2014 when BP settled lawsuits filed following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
DeFuniak Springs City Attorney Clayton Adkinson said the city settled its own lawsuit with BP at about the same time the county did.
“The money went into the city’s general fund, I assume,” Adkinson said. “That was the appropriate place for it to go. I would think it would be easily traceable.”
The audit report that denotes the receipt and expenditure of the $368,063 BP legal settlement points out several areas in which the city had not taken proper care of its money. It states the city failed to write off bad debts, recorded grant funds incorrectly and did not properly segregate the duties of city staff.
“Proper segregation of duties provides for a system of checks and balances such that the functions of one employee are subject to the review through the performance of the interrelated functions of another employee,” the report said. “Due to turnover in the position of finance director, the city manager performed some finance director duties during the year. These items, including the reconciliation of bank statements, were performed without adequate supervision and review.”
The auditors recommended “that the city review the internal control procedures to ensure checks and balances always exist to the greatest extent possible.”
Edited
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