A Special Message to Franklin County Property Owners

2018 has been extremely active for CCFC and Franklin County government. Five of seven governmental agencies in Franklin County again raised their taxes. We believe those raises were unnecessary. We brought analyses and information to budget hearings to prove the accounts could have been better managed to avoid those increases, on you, the taxpayer.

The CCFC represents those without a voice on matters of financial propriety, and seeks to secure transparency, efficiency and eliminate public corruption in Franklin County. If you ever had the feeling that you were powerless to affect change, that’s where we come in. We work with Commissioners, Hospital Board and other elected officials throughout the year. We hold elected officials to account and raise our voices to influence their deliberations and outcomes.

Please feel free to share this letter with your friends; encourage them to learn more about the work of the Concerned Citizens and to join the CCFC as new members.

Let me share with you some of this year’s CCFC efforts on behalf of best practices to achieve and guarantee transparency and a fiscally responsible, fair and accountable government for Franklin County.

1. We have attended almost all County Commission Meetings in 2018. When appropriate and possible, we speak up with facts, concerns and alternatives which may be accepted later in deliberations.
2. The Association frequently attends Hospital Board Meetings to primarily listen to reports and budget facts as presented. We will ask questions while pushing for accountability and logic in the expenditures for Weems Hospital operations. We hope Commissioners will finally take the CCFC’s suggestion to enter into a more sensible and successful risk-sharing partnership with Sacred Heart Hospital. This can cap the county’s liability and provide a long-promised new facility, supported by the existing hospital tax, and which may be more centrally located for all residents of Franklin County.
3. The CCFC constantly researches best ideas and business practices, sharing them with County Departments and Constitutional Officers.
4. We have been very involved in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Our county’s small voting size precludes us from securing some resources that bigger counties achieve. As CCFC president, I have personally spoken to Senator Rubio and with a representative in Senator Nelson’s office (among others) to discuss innovative and long-term solutions to specific challenges our county has.
5. We expect (sadly not always successfully) that public meetings be held with decorum and respect toward the citizenry. We ask that the public be heard before a vote is held on agenda items. (The county currently enforces a three minute limit for each spokesperson’s public comment only at the beginning of each meeting.) We ask that public comments be heard and spokespersons be respected on agenda items before a Commission vote is taken and action implemented as was done in the past.
6. At budget time, we are there early and often, sometimes incurring the ire of a few Commissioners who don’t like our good business suggestions and review. We are also there as often as possible at issues workshops, hearings and preliminary presentations.
7. We often engage Federal and State representatives who can and will take our messages and good business suggestions back to county leadership using alternate messaging.
8. We reach out through emails such as these and contribute Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns on a frequent basis. We receive and appreciate taxpayer feedback from many people who call, write or just spread our words on behalf of good government when taxpayer voices need to be heard.
9. The CCFC continues to work with law enforcement on issues of suspected public corruption. We work with the Property Appraiser on issues of questionable assessments and exemptions that may amount to criminal fraud. We work with Constitutional Officers to continually present positive, alternative, good business methods and alternatives to help keep Franklin County taxes under better control.
10. We engage professionals (lawyers, investigators, additional accountants) to further our mission of good, honest, representative government for Franklin County.
11. CCFC built, maintains and operates an independent website which may be found at ABetterFranklin.com. We incur substantial mailing and other expenses to help bring taxpayers the news, behavior, decisions and actions of Franklin County Commissioners, elected Constitutional officers and other leadership.

Annually, we reach out to the community at large for help in meeting the financial challenges of continuing our work.

Many members support us with dues payment of $100 or more to ensure our continued success. But we will successfully and carefully put into action whatever you can contribute (perhaps $25, $50, $75) which will allow our year-round work to continue. We need your financial help to ensure that good government in Franklin County can and will become a reality.

Please support our important work efforts made on your behalf by putting your membership dues contribution in the mail today! Make your check payable to the CCFC and mail it to P.O. Box 990, Eastpoint Florida 32328 while it is top of mind.

(Dues are not deductible for income tax purposes)

Thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

Allan J. Feifer
President
Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc.