CCFC-Somebody’s Got to Say It

Good Morning Friends:

Quality local government leadership and opportunities for participation have never been as challenged as they are today.

We want to be very specific in our comments and avoid politics. We have terrible problems with our schools that predate the current COVID crisis and are reflected in some of the highest spending per pupil in the state and have the worst results. Our ABC School is excluded from this criticism. It’s a fact that cannot be glossed over. Undertake all the excuse making you can, the results are in the grades and financial numbers. The worst numbers are those of young people that lost opportunities through school neglect and/or lack of parental support. We need quality, child centered leaders.

Our county government has completely failed us on economic development, honesty in government, transparency and our pet favorite… access to our commissioners. Ask your Commissioner this simple question: Why is the County Government budget being raised by $4 million this year? Bet you won’t get an easy to understand, straight forward answer to your question. The criticism we have also extends to some Constitutional Offices that received way too much funding. But I don’t blame them as much as the Commissioners since the Florida Constitution charges Commissioners with determining the correctness of submitted budgets. They don’t.

The Attorney General of Florida determined that citizens have a Constitutional Right to access and address, to have two-way discussions with our leaders. Yet, in 2018 Commissioners changed the existing Policy of allowing citizens to talk to their leaders at the beginning of each Meeting and Workshop and to again address Commissioners in a dialogue before each and every vote is taken. The best way to understand what existed then and what does not exist today is that we had participatory government through 2018 before existing commissioners decided to ask the County Attorney to craft a new policy to limit citizen participation to the strictest legal interpretation possible. Why? The CCFC provided leaders with the policies of all counties neighboring us and beyond, who by and large continue to this day the ability of citizens to participate in government. We give Franklin County Government an F in openness.

The lack of professionalism in how decisions are made, the dearth of citizen input, important polices waived whenever commissioners like and the chutzpah of individual Commissioners has led to:

• Unfair labor policies that reward people not for the work they do, but whether they are Constitutional employees or work for the Commissioners who have let the gap in pay become unconscionable.
• Running a hospital that loses money each and every month over available subsidies and can be a death trap for those brought there inappropriately. Ask why Weems is not allowed to admit COVID patients after receiving over $3 million in Cares Act Funding but wants you to believe it’s in the fight.
• An investment community in North Florida that shuns our county for inconsistent and detrimental county leadership decisions.
• Nepotism at every level of government. Some of those very same relatives convicted of crimes in their old county jobs and then rehired to another position.
• A basic disregard for how something looks. Hiring the wife of a Commissioner into the Election Office while running for his seat again. It just looks bad, or worse.
• The oh so collegial Board of County Commissioners who recently allowed spot paving projects in Commissioners Districts that were up for election this year. There is a policy of saving up Gas Tax money for several years to have countywide projects and bidding them for best value. Not this year.
• Interference in Zoning decisions that have resulted in multiple ongoing lawsuits costing the county hundreds of thousands of dollars so far and potentially millions more to come. Reducing the number of citizens on P & Z Boards has the effect of reducing citizen input. And has the potential to allow one aspect of membership to influence or dictate county policies, with little or no regard for existing carefully constructed historical land use regulations.
• An utter and complete lack of creating and acting on Vision statements that could lift Franklin County citizens out of poverty.
• Paying lip service to the drug problem here in Franklin County and fighting anything that would really address the issue or offer a hand up to its victims. Think drug rehab.
• Paying homage to the wild caught seafood industry while writing letters trying to have the State of Florida cease issuing leases to the rapidly growing Aquaculture industry here and all around us that could create jobs and real, permanent incomes for our citizens.
• Another over the top nod to inappropriate election behavior was one Commissioner up for election who broke a red line rule. Individuals on a private road are getting help from the Road Department for the first time ever. The County has steadfastly denied every other request for the last 20 years that we know of. The vote was 5-0 in favor of helping their fellow Commissioner gain an advantage. Let’s see what happens after the election when the next person(s) ask for the same treatment.
• We’ve heard from several people on the Tourist Development Board that they feel either intimidated or restricted by a rigid system of Management that silences them and they question the need to double the Tourist Development Tax when there are essentially no other beds to sell and limited area amenities are busy.Just another multi-million-dollar pot of money for some to divvy up?

Fellow Franklin County Citizens. We have an election in just a few short weeks. Our local election is just as important as the national elections and will be pivotal as to the road we take going forward. Remember, ultimately all elections are local, this is your only opportunity to make your voice count.

The CCFC believes it’s time to start over. There is systemic corruption in Franklin County. Ask the FBI, Justice Department or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who have had Franklin County on their radar for years. No one who is elected to government should think they own that seat. For a lot of reasons, people are silent too much of the time. Maybe because Commissioners won’t have evening meetings or have ended the occasional one in Carrabelle so they might participate.

Whatever the reason, we encourage you to go vote in person and vote your conscience and elect individuals that are smart, active, humble and forward looking. The county is changing. Has been changing for at least 30 years. It’s time to look at that change and make it work for each and every Franklin County citizen. It’s money in your pocket or out of it. You decide who to vote for that most closely fits your thoughts on county and school government.

As always, if you have any questions, or, want deeper or supportive information or just want to talk, we are here. We are your Concerned Citizens of Franklin County and we look out for your best interests Financially and Ethically

Stay tuned for an announcement as to the CCFC’s annual meeting!

God bless America and all of you!

Thank you.

Allan J. Feifer

President
Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc.
P.O Box 990
Eastpoint, Florida 32328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABetterFranklin.com
(850) 653-5571

“The Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc. serves as a citizens’ advocate to ensure that our Franklin County governments are more open, affordable, efficient, and responsive to our citizens. The organization seeks to hold public officials accountable for their actions in the administration of their duties and in their fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers.”

Commissioner Contacts:

Commissioner Bert Boldt - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 519-4966

Commissioner Smokey Parrish - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 653-8790

Commissioner Ricky Jones - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 653-8861

Chairman Noah Lockley - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 653-4452

Commissioner William Massey - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 653-8861

Please feel free to redistribute this email to your friends!