School Committee Forming

Please allow me to begin with two questions. Why is it so critically important to offer an excellent education to our children? And more specifically, why is it so critically important that each student in the Franklin County school system be given every opportunity to excel academically?More >>

We are so incredibly fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. There is no better time of the year than now when it comes to cool mornings, crystal clear skies and some of the best visuals you’ll witness anywhere. Sometimes it’s difficult to shift back into the mode of County Watchdog, but those once a year tax bills, huge insurance bills and the ever present reminders of decimated property values remind all of us that there is a business side that can’t be ignored either.

The County suffers unevenly on many levels. We need more opportunity and jobs. We need more tourists and retirees, we need more predictability and consistency in how our fisheries are regulated and enforced. We need better leadership and less reliance on handouts that will be dwindling over time and that will become less generous as well. BP pumped in over $40 million dollars into the local economy over the last year, which was far more than any economic impact from the no spill/oil spill; at least not here. Was everybody made whole? No. But, many other people benefited in excess of their actual economic loss. The money was corrupting with at least one elected official taking BP money that he may not have been entitled to and certainly should not have taken given his position.

Sadly and prominently featured in our local newspaper is the extremely high utilization of Federal Food Stamps, now called SNAP in Florida. We want people to have the means to feed themselves and not have to rely permanently on public assistance programs. Where is the leadership that will bring good jobs into our community?

Can a county government be on public assistance? I believe it can. Both the County government and School District depend on huge helpings of Federal and State money to balance their books, much more so than any other county of its size. Unfortunately, this aid is declining, with little hope of it returning to present levels. This has not stopped either government agency from acting as if this is only a temporary problem.

We are just about to start another budget cycle. As in past years, the CCFC is going to ask County government to act more like a business and not like just a conduit of public largess. Specifically, the CCFC will ask each Commissioner this year to estimate the available revenues for the 2011/2012 budget year and assign preliminary budget caps to each County department and each County Constitutional Officer so that the painful budget process can be made less so. Let there be no mistake about it; it is the constitutional responsibility of the Commissioners to set everyone’s budget, including the Constitutional Officers. In the past our Commissioners have shied away from accepting that responsibility. With continued declines in the tax digest and dwindling reserves, this year is likely to be the most painful yet. Hiding from the truth is guaranteed to give us an even more painful, uneven outcome. Time to step up Commissioners!

You may have noticed that your total tax bite this last year was unbalanced, with the School District taking a higher percentage of the taxes than in the past. Problems with the County are even worse at the School District with an almost total disdain for the problems of the taxpayers. With a union enforced demand for more money and raises, we do not see any fiscal restraint on the part of School District this year. This will be the first time that the CCFC plans to be involved in the formation of the District’s budget. Whenever you hear that it’s “for the kids,” temper that thought with the knowledge of the hundreds of highly paid workers with great benefits largely detached from the success or failure of the “kids.” Most of the millions and millions of dollars go not to the kids, but to people. A few members of the CCFC toured the school last month and were rightly impressed with the terrific physical plant and the many excellent people we met. There are no bad School employees we’ve met. However, there is a natural conflict of interest though between the needs of the kids and the people who make their living from the school system. The citizens of Franklin county need to be more involved with the District. Please consider attending the occasional monthly District meeting and see for yourself. Get involved if you can.

The CCFC needs your talents, interest and individual financial support through membership dues. Please consider your place in helping to protect your own financial interests as well as helping to ensure that Franklin County remains the kind of place people come to for fun, retirement, nature and investment.

Thank you,

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

“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.”

Not everyone reads the local newspaper so you may be unaware that there have been three arrests for three separate crimes relating to the lack of financial oversight by the county. In two of those occasions the thefts were by a county employee and an agent of the county, a contracted out probation officer position monitored and overseen by the Clerk of the Court. The third theft was money taken from a non-profit baseball league here in the county heavily financially subsidized by the County. The CCFC has been beating the drums on a lack of oversight by the Chief Financial Officer of the County (Clerk of Court's Office) for a long time. We’ve worked around the edges trying to work within the system but that has had little effect. This week we took off the gloves and I think you will see why after reading what I said to the County Commission below. The message was not well received by a majority of the Commissioners. In fact, Michael Shuler instructed the Commission not to not even answer and made at least one caustic remark. Please view the County Clerk’s segment on Forgotten Coast TV at:

http://www.forgottencoasttv.com/p/franklin-county-board-of-county-commission-meeting.aspx

Click on part six. I encourage everyone to view this segment. Watch part five if you have time as it demonstrates other problems and fractures within the Commission.

A reminder: if you have not sent in your 2015 dues yet, please send them in right away. We depend on your support and continued input. Finally, the CCFC will have public meeting in March. Dates and locations to come but we look forward to seeing some of you there.

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Having attended both December Commission meetings, the CCFC has multiple concerns with the missing funds related to the theft of over $300,000 involving Florida Probation Services, The Clerk’s office and the Defendant, Jennifer Brown. Our concern is that the very foundations of the Public Trust are under assault. It goes without saying that the Clerk’s position can be seen as untenable. On one hand, she has family under legal assault and on the other hand, her legal and ethical requirements under State Law and by her Oath of Office demand action. Not an easy position to be in. With that being said, we believe the Clerk has an impossible position. Please allow me, with respect, to state the conflicts the Clerk’s Office appears to face:

1. The Clerk’s unwillingness to disclose to the public the true cost to the county of the theft diminishes the Clerk’s Office credibility and calls into question the openness and transparency of her office. The case is no longer a question of conjecture; her niece is involved in formulating an acceptable plea deal according to various sources. The question now is who else is involved (if anyone) and whether Marcia knew or should have known of what was going on in her office for the past several years. This is another area of conflict of interest that Marcia cannot resolve to the public’s satisfaction on her own.
2. There are allegations that one or more of the Clerk’s other employees have stolen money in the past three years. This has not been released publicly, and again calls into question whether or not the Clerk’s Office is operating in a permissive environment that has insufficient controls to deter, detect and prosecute those in the public trust.
3. The Clerk has an untenable situation with multiple relatives involved as county employees or who work as agents of the county. This creates an obvious conflict of interest that she cannot resolve and keep the public’s trust. This blatant and obvious nepotism creates an additional concern to the public that creates suspicion. The theft of County and State funds continues to be an active criminal investigation that involves her chain of command and specifically her Sister-in-Law who runs the Courts and had ongoing day-to-day contact with her daughter…Jennifer Brown, Marcia’s niece.
4. The Clerk has made claims and statement that are directly refuted by some of the individuals at the heart of the Florida Probation Supervision issue and that creates an additional conflict of interest.
5. The Clerk appears to have stepped out of bounds in lecturing the Commission on pay and benefit issues that directly affect her relatives. This is an obvious conflict of interest that was and is never disclosed to the public at large and does not further the public trust.

For the above reasons, it would seem appropriate for the Board of County Commissioners to request, as is their right and responsibility, an external audit of the Clerk’s Office in Franklin County as proscribed by law. By asking for this outside audit, neither I nor anyone in the CCFC is accusing anyone of wrong doing. However, with the facts on the table as they exist today, it is no longer possible for the Clerk of Courts to be her own honest broker and in effect investigate herself.

Thank you.

Allan J. Feifer
President

Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc.
P.O. Box 990
Eastpoint, Florida 32328
(850) 653-5571

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. We’ve been busy behind the scenes keeping up and influencing issues that affect your wallet and continuing to represent your interests with public officials. Here’s a summary of what’s going on this month:

1. July 16^thTown Hall Meeting at the Eastpoint Firehouse—our topic for the evening will be Eastpoint Water and Sewer. Meeting starts at 6:30.
2. July 23^rdFranklin County Budget Workshop at the Courthouse Annex. Workshop begins at 9:00
3. Weems Hospital Renovation/New Construction
4. Continued efforts to have the Clerk of Court’s Office undergo an external Operational Audit

Several individuals are concerned that Eastpoint Water and Sewer District has become unresponsive to the needs of its users. The CCFC was contacted to facilitate a meeting to help EPWSD users to develop a plan to address their local concerns. The CCFC has not expressed an opinion on the issues and will only function as a facilitator for those wishing to move forward in an organized and cohesive manner. Everyone is invited to participate.

This year’s tax digest is flat once again. Unfortunately, the Board of County Commissioners left the door open for County Departments and Constitutional Officers to ask for increased funding over last year. The Department of Health is asking for an additional $210,000 alone. With flat valuations on properties anticipated in the county, there will be a push to increase the millage rate yet again. Anyone interested in helping the CCFC on Thursday the 23^rdis invited to contact the undersigned. There is strength in numbers…believe it!

The USDA approved an approximate $10 million loan for Weems Hospital. The BOCC has approved the loan documents but is under no obligation to move forward and in fact, voted at the last BOCC meeting not to spend additional funds on the new hospital until after a workshop is undertaken to better understand the process, facts and issues associated with moving forward. Let me make this crystal clear for CCFC members; management of the Weems Hospital System, including the Hospital Board is the best since we began following the ongoing problems and issues. Our problem is that we believe that given the lack of profitability of Weems, its heavy reliance on local and ever declining federal dollars to keep the doors open and with a small population to draw from, that Weems Hospital as currently configured and planned is not economically viable and will continue to be a significant drain on the community while providing an ever smaller percentage of care within the community. This is the discussion that has never been held.

This Tuesday, July 7^ththe BOCC will receive its annual audited financial statement. The CCFC believes that due to issues related to internal controls within the Clerk’s Office that the release of the audit was extensively delayed. The CCFC believes that the audit will not replace the need for an independent outside operational audit to address multiple issues including missing funds, failure of internal controls and other issues that do not lend confidence to the ongoing fair, open and transparent operation of the Clerk’s Office. The CCFC has reason to believe there are other issues beyond the theft by the Clerk’s niece of in excess of $225,000 (and perhaps as much as $325,000) that scream for an independent set of eyes, that at this time, the Clerk has refused. I hope you will attend Tuesday’s BOCC meeting if at all possible so you can witness what happens when and if this issue comes up. It is worth noting that the Clerk has not attended a BOCC meeting since February.

It always seems that there is drama in Franklin County. Let me say that Franklin County has so very much to recommend it. We may be no more corrupt or inefficient at times than other counties. However, Franklin County is our county and we focus on what we see and know about. The very fact that we are so small has led to a system rife with nepotism and self-interested relationships. Please stand with us as we protect your wallet and best interests for open, affordable, efficient and responsive county government in one of the highest taxing counties in the State.

Sincerely,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.”

Let’s start off with an act of love I observed that typifies many of my experiences throughout the county. Last Thursday I had a meeting that took me through Apalachicola around dinnertime. I stopped at the Burger King for a “healthy” meal. I witnessed an elderly man that appeared to be memory challenged come in and order some food. An individual that I believe was the Manager gently told the man he’d been there just an hour before and had purchased food and had also been there even earlier in the day purchasing food at that time as well. The Manger kindly said “Mr. X you were in here just an hour ago and I don’t think you have any more money to buy some more. The gentleman still desired to eat and had a dollar or two and I saw the Manager use her own money to help the man pay for his meal. This is not the first time I’ve seen grace in Franklin County and it won’t be the last time I expect either. Thank you Madame, whoever you are for just being yourself. I know there are many more just like you.

A not-so-loving attack which was made by the Clerk against the fact-finding veracity of the CCFC and myself and was published in a recentApalachicola Times NewspaperLetter to the Editor. We have the facts behind all our charges and have put the proof of some our public information on our website athttp://abetterfranklin.com/index.php/franklin-facts.You can see for yourself that Franklin County is number three in the State for per capita taxes. We are NOT among the lowest in the nation as the clerk misstated. Our accurate information is provided by theFlorida Association of Countiesitself and is the most recent available on their public website

All the public statements the CCFC made in reference to Ms. Brown are derived from conversations with and witness statements by Willie Meggs, State Attorney or his office. All of our allegations pertaining to the Clerk’s Office and our push for a State Operational Audit stem from these public documents. It is these statements, taken under oath or in one case as a personal written statement by a Judge that the CCFC relied upon and no personal innuendo should be construed.

Information for your action and ours: this Tuesday (August 18) at the Courthouse Annex at 1:30 a public workshop will be held with the Franklin County Commission and the Hospital Board. The discussion will center on Weems Hospital and the proposed construction program. After careful review of the hospital’s own budget and fiscal findings, this potential construction and forthcoming costs are of great fiscal concern to the CCFC.

While county-wide health care is of vital importance to any potential economic development, as well as to those who need immediate quality medical services, we believe there are viable and successful alternatives to this unnecessary construction plan.

We plan to be in attendance at this important presentation and hope you consider coming as well. 

The CCFC believes there are hundreds of Mobile Homes owned by and lived in by their property owners which according to Florida Department of Revenue regulations must be assessed and taxed as real property and are not on the tax rolls. We have been working with the Property Appraiser for months on this issue at the request of other citizens who made us aware of this practice and provided documentation to support their claim. Frankly, the PA has not responded to written requests we have made, claiming time constraints or simply not addressing the specific issues in our letter. We will put the past letter and the current Open Records Act request on our website for you to view yourself. Legal action to force the issue may ultimately be necessary. The net effect of not assessing property is easy to understand. Franklin County has an understated tax digest which forces the millage rate for the County and School District to be higher than it otherwise needs to be. People who play by the rules pay more and those that don’t pay less. At least one currently elected official has not declared their Mobile Home for more than 10 years.

The CCFC has also submitted an Open Records Request to the School System to better understand the strain on the system due to declining enrollment and low graduation rates. The CCFC only recently submitted the Open Records Request to the School System and we expect a full and complete answer shortly. We will report back to you after we receive the requested information and analyze it.

Good news from the Franklin County Commission. At the Budget Workshop which I and several CCFC members attended, the Commission set the millage rate for the next fiscal year at the rollback rate. This means that the County will take in no more ad valorem money than they took in the current year. There are two Budget Adoption Hearings in September that could ostensibly lower the millage rate further, but I don’t expect that to happen. Frankly, it was a bit harder to get information from the county in advance this year and I do have some concerns that we were sandbagged and that there was more money available than needed which could and should have resulted in an actual tax cut. We are not finished with this yet. We appreciate everyone’s support who came out and sat with us or spoke to the Commission at the workshop.

Thank you for continuing support as the CCFC attempts to bring greater transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability on behalf of Franklin County officials and voters.

Sincerely,

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.

Good Afternoon Fellow Franklin County Property Owners:

2015 has been another great year for our Association and marks another year of continued fiscal restraint. We want to remind all Franklin County citizens that the Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc. represents those without a voice on matters of financial propriety, transparency, efficiency and public corruption in Franklin County. We work with the County Commission, Hospital Board and other elected officials throughout the year. Many of you have probably had the feeling that you are powerless to affect our leadership. That’s where we come in. We hold elected officials to account and influence the debate. Let me share with you just some of the highlights for this past year:

Annual Budget:   The budget process went much more smoothly this year, mirroring last year’s. The Sheriff’s Office did receive a substantial raise in budget this year which we believe was probably not justified with lower costs in several areas, such as fuel. However, with the prepared budget presented to Commissioners and with better State funding, most of the Commissioners were inclined to take the “win” with a slightly below rollback millage rate. The CCFC believes there could have been a greater reduction in the millage rate, but it was not to be. I was pleased at the turnout by CCFC members at the Budget Workshop. Thanks to all that attended. This is an example of the CCFC saving you money on taxes!

Health Care: The Commission recently approved moving forward with an over $10 million project to improve Weems. A ballot initiative that mandated a new hospital drives an agenda that is unjustified and unaffordable. Sources state a new hospital would cost in excess of $35 million. The truth is that no one really knows what is to be built, but it won’t be a new hospital. Our understanding is that Architects are to be given a go ahead to design something to available funding; we just don’t know what that will be at this time. Mike Cooper, Weems current CEO, is very competent and knowledgeable. Our problem is one of demographics and economics. Weems loses over $1.5 million a year (before county subsidies) and there are legitimate concerns and cautions going forward both as to costs and quality of the healthcare delivered locally. The CCFC will closely follow developments and will influence the debate. All options should be on the table. The last thing we all want is for the citizens of Franklin County to be paying for a mistake for the next 40 years. The CCFC believes that the hospital needs to be removed from County control and to be associated with a stronger system with more resources.

Outreach: Each year I speak with dozens of people in public and private settings explaining the need and mission of our organization. We are working with our county-wide Property Assessor on inconsistent property assessments concerning mobile homes and long-lasting, inconsistent property tax records.  We assisted citizens and businesses with issues with the East Point Water and Sewer district, leading ultimately to a long-sought change in management.  We have worked this year with Lanark Village concerning a series of thefts that have devastated fund-raising support of their local Association.

Annually, we reach out to current and past members, and other property owners for help in meeting the financial challenges of continuing the work of the CCFC. We engage professionals to further our mission (lawyers, accountants and investigators) we maintain and operate our website, and there are substantial mailing and other expenses to continue our work. Many members support us with dues payment of $100 or more to ensure our continued success. But whatever you can contribute, perhaps $25, $50, $75, will allow our year round work to ensure that good government for Franklin County becomes a reality. Please support our important work by citizens and for citizens by putting your check 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. Please feel free to share this letter with your friends; encourage them to join the CCFC. We represent you and you alone.

Thank you for your generous support. Dues are not deductible for income tax purposes.

Sincerely,

Allan J. Feifer—President

Concerned Citizens of Franklin County, Inc.

P.O. Box 990

Eastpoint, Florida 32328

ABetterFranklin.com          (850) 653-5571

Update: With the School Board Approving after two Board meetings (one of them a special meeting) The FC School Board has agreed to change the vote to a mailed ballot to help insure the widest possible access. A big win for the CCFC!

Hello Everyone:

We have three subjects to bring to you today:

First, our Annual Meeting is to be held on April 16th at 10:30 a.m. at the Eastpoint Firehouse. We will elect Directors and Officers, listen to your concerns and interests and collect 2016 dues. Please come and meet the group and participate. We need your input and support.

Second, we have a bone to pick with the School Board and we’d like you to attend if you can. The School Board wants to raise an additional ½ mill by ostensibly transferring it from the capital side of the budget to the operational side, and they need voter approval again. Without disputing the veracity of their claim, the CCFC takes issue with the method the School Board employed to get their wish. Instead of putting the issue on last month’s Presidential Preference ballot or later in the year for free, the School Board chose to disenfranchise as many voters as possible and put the Special Election on in June at a cost to you of $22,000 vs. free. All of us should be concerned about that kind of legerdemain. If you think like we do, please attend Monday’s Regular School Board Meeting with us at the Willie Speed Boardroom on 85 School Road in Eastpoint at 6:00 p.m. We’re going to ask them to change their minds, save $22,000 and respect the will of the voters; whatever that may be.

Moving on to an ongoing issue….

Three Commissioners appear to want Weems to build a new/renovated facility no matter (what) the potential financial consequences or issues. Several recent developments paint a picture of a Hospital System in name only, running on fumes and not delivering the kind of care that you would expect from a traditional hospital. These four developments, when taken together, scare two current Commissioners, several former Commissioners and your own Association:

1. The proposed foundation for future financial repayment of the county debt is shaky at the onset. It has been publicly explained that the $10.5 million USDA loan is to be paid back with future Medicare reimbursements. But depreciation reimbursement for the new facility predicated on current rules may change in the future as they have in the past. Without these future depreciation monies, there may be little or no cash flow to pay back a dime of the $10 million loan. If the Hospital cannot make its debt service, who do you think will be on the hook to pay that money back?? You guessed it! You and me. The taxpayers of Franklin County.

2. Since December 2015, and continuing through March, Weems has been unable to make payroll or pay its bills and regular expenses. The County has advanced funds totaling $677,000 since December 2015. Weems payback was supposed to occur in March, based on hospital management projections. Instead, Weems continues to be in dire financial straits. $243,000 of that “loan” has been authorized by the BOCC, but has not yet been drawn down. Of the over $12 million collected in taxes, less than $2 million remains. Remember these “loan” monies are granted in addition to the generous and dependable support already provided by the Healthcare Sales Tax. These additional monies (loans) are coming out of the Capital Fund that was intended and designated on the referendum ballot to be used for construction of a new hospital.

3. Month after month, Weems CEO Mike Cooper has put the best possible public spin on anything good, while seemingly ignoring facts that are more negative. The latest Financials we have (through February 2016) show the Weems System in the red after subsidies and owing $419,000 to TMH for salaries they pay on behalf of Weems and $461,000 in payables, mostly over 30 days overdue. Where’s the money to pay these bills and others going to come from?

4. Last week the Chief Financial Officer was suspended for a week for, and I quote from the email sent to the Board from the hospital CEO, “In short, the information that I delivered to all of you in December regarding how much money the hospital was expecting was flawed. A good portion of the meaningful use monies were disallowed. The reasons are rather technical and we will eventually get a good portion of the money. However, it won’t be in the accelerated fashion that we expected. More concerning, there was a major oversight in the calculation of what we expected from our normal cost report settlement. The result of all of the above is that there will not be a large Medicare check that will allow the hospital to replenish the Trust in one payment.” And, “With that said, the mistake that was made in creating the projection of the cash we were expecting was egregious. It was an honest mistake but, egregious nonetheless. It needed to be addressed. In meeting with each of you, I attempted to collect your thoughts of what you expected should happen. I also consulted TMH.TMH sent their VP of Human Resources down on Thursday to consult. After much thought, I, with the blessing of TMH and the hospital board chair, suspended John Graham (Weems CFO) for one week without pay.”

Why are alarm bells not going off all the way to Tallahassee? Confidence in leadership is the glue that holds civil society together and allows for the everyday functioning of government. Citizens must be able to trust their representatives. The national debate on both sides centers around whom you trust more to tell you the truth. Quite remarkable, really.

For the record and before someone says otherwise, there are no bad actors here. Whether on the BOCC, the Hospital Board or other leaders, these are good people who have to make difficult choices. One choice to be most seriously considered is what option is actually going to deliver the best healthcare choices for the citizens of Franklin County. Too often that is forgotten in our desire to claim the prestige of a local hospital, even when it has been unable to deliver much more than limited emergency room treatment and a shiny brass plaque with local names inscribed thereupon for all to see.

If you agree with us that the county has a runaway expenditure train called “Weems”, help us let taxpayers know the truth, not a ‘wishful thinking’ bill of goods that others may want you to hear and/or think. Thank you for your continuing support as the CCFC attempts to bring greater transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability on behalf of Franklin County officials and voters. Please remember to renew your 2016 CCFC membership if you have not already. Not a member? No problem, click on…http://abetterfranklin.com/index.php/join-ccfc. Join today. We depend on your support! Membership dues are not tax deductible.

Sincerely,

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:

Chairman- Cheryl Sanders 697-2534
Commissioner Smokey Parrish 653-8790
Commissioner Rick Watson 591-4770
Commissioner Noah Lockley 653-4452
Commissioner William Massey 653-8861

Hello Everyone:

Oh joy! It’s that time of the year again when the public gets to take part and/or observe the county preliminary budget process. Next week at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday the 19th of July and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., your CCFC will be representing the taxpayers as they try to work out a just budget for the County Commission and Constitutional Officers. The Florida Constitution requires your County Commissioners to approve all Constitutional Officer Budgets. There is a reason for that. There is a built in conflict of interest between the leader of a constitutional office and the financial needs of the people. The founders of Florida understood that issue and made your Commissioners the arbiter of “how much is enough.”

While the final budget requests are not yet available for us to view and review, we do know that the largest component of the budget will be the Sheriff’s. The Sheriff is requesting a budget busting increase on top of the increase granted last year. We can’t see it. I have attached an analysis of problematic areas we are concerned with and will challenge next week. A couple of budget busters the outgoing Sheriff has built-in to his budget is the purchase five new vehicles a year instead of the traditional three and 10% raises for his Lieutenants and 5% raises for his Sergeants. Keep in mind, that the county itself almost always delivers an across the Board raise or bonus on top of this. It’s no wonder that virtually all the highest paying jobs in the county are government. Coupled with an extremely generous package of benefits, have we effectively separated the haves (government workers) from the have not’s (the rest of us)?

The County Tax Digest (all the taxable property in the county) as appraised by the Property Appraiser will show an overall 3-4 percent increase in the taxable value of properties. Some will see a slight decrease, but most of us will see a substantial rise in the value of their properties after many years of flat or decreasing values. That’s good news and bad news. Everyone wants their property to go up in value but don’t want a bigger tax bill as a result. The shell game the County plays is the misleading “I won’t raise your taxes.” Since the value of a home may increase 4% or more, if the Commissioners pass the same millage rate as last year, you’ll pay more and they will tell you they did not raise taxes. That’s not true. The only way a Commissioner can say they did not raise taxes is if they vote for and pass what is described as the Rollback Rate. The rollback rate is designed to bring in the same amount of revenue as the current year and adjusts the millage rate to achieve that.

I have been informed by at least one Commissioner that they want to raise taxes to meet the needs of the Sheriff and Hospital. Yes, our old friends Weems and the Emergency Management Services that they control, are hemorrhaging money and need more money than just the 1% Healthcare Trust Fund is currently providing. Now, there is an effort to take more ad valorem tax money to fund the existing three ambulances (an increased subsidy was provided for exactly that purpose three years ago) or Weems will be forced to borrow even more money from the Trust Fund that ostensibly was to pay for capital improvements and new construction, but is well on the way to being depleted due to ongoing emergency needs.

These two drivers (known to us at this time) are set to enable Commissioners to raise taxes on us all. Keep in mind that Franklin County is one of the top five spending counties per capita in the State. We are not a poor county, we just act like it.

Please join me at next week’s Budget Workshops as we discuss individual budgets. The Tuesday Workshop is to agree on Non-Governmental Entity contributions like the Humane Society, Meals-on-Wheels and many other worthy organizations that get at least some of their support from the County. The main event is Wednesday morning when we hit the bigger budget requests. If you can come for only a few hours, then Wednesday morning is preferable.

Too often, it appears as if the CCFC is anti-government at these workshops. County Commissioners should be the watchdogs, but they don’t see the hundreds of pages of documents in the budget until a few days or even the same day of the workshops. Often, they don’t understand what they see and rely on those asking for funding from them. Every county department and Constitutional Office tends to look out for themselves; it’s the nature of government. Ultimately, you are the watchdogs that either enable or restrain government from taking more than it needs.

Thank you for continuing support as the CCFC attempts to bring greater transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability on behalf of Franklin County officials and voters. If you haven’t already, please don’t forget to renew your CCFC membership this month. We depend on your support!

Please feel free to download the Analysis Speadsheet for the Workshop Here

Sincerely,

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.”