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Charter Review holds final meeting

By Wesley LeBlanc
Posted 6/20/18

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Charter Review holds final meeting


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The final Charter Review Commission meeting consisted of quick votes and a bout between not only its appointed members, but with a Clay County Commissioner as well.

During the June 13 CRC meeting, the commission voted unanimously on two separate agenda items before a heated discussion between CRC Chairman Amy Pope-Wells, CRC members Amy Miller, Ronald Stotler and BCC member Gayward Hendry broke out. The two votes were the final ones needed to send two charter revision ballot questions to Clay County voters this fall.

After a 12-0 vote, CRC members approved a referendum that asks voters if BCC member term limits should be increased, from two consecutive four-year terms, to three, giving potential members the opportunity to spend 12 years in a BCC chair. The second vote made that night, which passed 12-0, will add to the ballot a referendum that asks voters if they believe the charter-specified county commissioner salary of $37,000 should be removed. It also asks voters if they’d like to remove the requirement that county commissioner salary changes be approved by a majority of electors in a general election. If voters pass this measure, BCC members would be able to have their salaries adjusted without the consent of the majority of voters. The referendum will ask voters to allow BCC member salaries to be incrementally adjusted to “equal only 70% of the salaries set by general law for county commissioners in non-charter counties, phased in roughly equal increments over four budget years.”

If voters pass this through, the BCC salary will increase from its current $37,000 to $51,580. As the ballot question will state, this salary increase will occur in equal incremental increases over four years.

The CRC meeting didn’t end after these two votes, however. Earlier this month, Clay County judge Kristina Mobley filed a complaint against Lucy Ann Hoover, who is challenging Mobley who was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott. According to Mobley’s complaint, Hoover failed to qualify for the ballot on time and improperly completed qualifying documents.

On June 12, CRC Chairman Pope-Wells spoke before the Board of County Commissioners threatening to hold another CRC meeting that involve investigating the circumstances surrounding Hoover’s bid for office. Pope-Wells questioned whether Hoover’s political consultant, Michael Kerekes was on the Clay County School Board clock while he assisted Hoover the day of qualifying in the Supervisor of Elections’ offices on Orange Avenue in Green Cove Springs. Kerekes maintains he is on a leave of absence from his job as the coordinator of community and strategic partnerships for the school district, while working on his political campaign business. However, Pope-Wells said the CRC needed to decide if discussion concerning Kerekes should be opened up before the CRC disbands having fulfilled the role assigned it by the BCC.

“What this body has to do is just take a look at this complaint, and make sure that based on the issue that we discussed and considered, that it does not affect any of our current position,” Pope-Wells said. “That given in light that before the body closes and goes to final report, that we share with the body, in complete transparency, that an issue was filed and the documents were there, and that it’s up to this body to determine if we want to read this and entertain this for additional discussion or leave it the legal unit of the judge to actually make the decision.”

CRC members Ronald Stotler quickly replied by explaining this court case and those involved has nothing to do with the CRC.

“I have no idea what this has to do with the board or the charter, and if somebody could explain that, then I might have a feeling, otherwise I’m for adjournment,” Stotler said.

Miller jumped into the discussion following Stotler with the idea that preemptive action might be necessary.

“We don’t know what the outcome is going to be with this,” Miller said. “What if there is something that comes to fruition in the time to come, and it’s something that we could have addressed through the charter, in terms of processes and keeping integrity within our system.”

Following Miller, Hendry asked Pope-Wells if he could approach the podium where he said he doesn’t understand why anyone on the CRC is concerned about this at all.

“Why are you and your collective pursuing this?” Hendry asked Pope-Wells. “There’s nothing in this lawsuit that speaks to integrity. It’s between [Clay County Superintendent] Addison Davis and whoever the employee was. If you’ve got anything about that, Davis needs to know about it but it ain’t none of you guys’ business and it ain’t none of my business.”

Hendry continued by questioning Pope-Wells about a public records request she said she made regarding Kerekes’ timecard.

“Can you do that?” Hendry asked Pope-Wells. “You spoke on behalf of your group and did you ask any of them?”

Most CRC members remained silent. Stotler shook his head no. Miller explained that because this was the last CRC meeting, there wasn’t time to ask as it needed to be done before the June 13 meeting. Hendry responded to Miller by explaining that Pope-Wells very well could have brought it up at a previous meeting, but did not.

At this point, with tensions and volumes in the room climbing, Miller said she felt uncomfortable.

“I’m just looking at this and I made a comment and now I feel like you’re attacking me and accusing me of being involved in some lawsuit,” Miller said. “I really don’t appreciate that.”

“I don’t care if you appreciate it or not Mrs. Miller,” Hendry said. He would later apologize for some of the things he said, like this, citing his passion in the heat of the moment.

At this point in the meeting, the discussion revolving around this topic continued back and forth between Hendry and other speakers, like former county commissioner Ronnie Robinson, Pope-Wells and Miller.

As the debate came to a close, the CRC voted 12-0 to approve the final report and cease any further discussion surrounding the court case.