Posted: April 7, 2010 - 12:16am
By PETER GUINTA
A hard-won trust, carefully constructed over many months between members of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District and St. Johns County boards, evaporated Tuesday and was replaced by a smoking brew of wariness, defensiveness and anger -- flavored by a bit of shouting.
The County Commission was discussing a report by analysts Jay Glover and Dave Hoskins of Public Financial Management Inc., Orlando.
They outlined three possible options: the county taking over the district, which would save $383,251 annually; sharing costs between the county and the district, which would save $197,098; and leaving the district independent, which would save $13,435.
County Administrator Michael Wanchick praised the PFM report as "objective and fair" and added, "I don't think anyone had any agenda except presenting the facts."
However, at least two Mosquito Control District board members saw this as another step in the county's continuing attempt to dissolve the district and assume its duties.
Chairwoman Jeanne Moeller said, "This is a deeply flawed, inaccurate analysis that does not provide (the County Commission) with a valid basis to conclude that the taxpayers will be better served by the elimination of AMCD."
The analysts never came to the Mosquito Control office or board meetings, she said.
District board member Vivian Browning said this disagreement is about "process and assets. It's not about purpose. Our purpose is to stop mosquito-borne disease. It is highly unusual (for this takeover) to be proposed by the county at this time. We're moving forward and need to be allowed to do that."
The report's aim was to quantify potential cost savings concerning the district, which it did.
Commissioner Cyndi Stevens told Glover and Hoskins, "I'm amazed at how many savings you found." She said the district was founded by special act (in 1949) and could be dissolved the same way, by lobbying legislators to revoke that act.
"The numbers are what they are," Stevenson said. "I'm not for sitting here and wasting an embarrassing amount of money if we can be more efficient."
After PFM's presentation ended, Wanchick recommended to the commission that it take no action and that his office would meet with district officials and report back in May.
Vice Chairman Ken Bryan said twice that he didn't want the district to think the county wants to absorb its operations.
"We all need to be reaching out and be as frugal as we can," Bryan said.
But district officials said later that Bryan's reassurance rings hollow.
More than a year ago, the commission turned down a promised zoning change that would permit the district to build a new, hurricane-resistant, centrally located headquarters on its property off County Road 208 and Interstate 95.
So that denial, an inclination to absorb their functions by county officials, the PFM report's conclusions and comments supporting a takeover made by Commissioner Phil Mays, fuels district suspicion of county motives, board members and staff said.
In early 2007, former County Commission Chair Tom Manuel stated a desire and intention to take over Mosquito Control. However, his plans amounted to nothing after Manuel was arrested, indicted and sentenced to prison for corruption.
On Tuesday, gadfly Ed Slavin of St. Augustine, speaking during public comment, accused the county of being responsible for millions of disease-bearing mosquitoes to be hatched.
"Remove the standing water in your miles and miles of ditches and culverts. They have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It's a public health hazard," Slavin said.
PFM has no expertise in mosquito control, he said.
"(The district) is a public health agency. I don't think you can play politics with public health," he said. "The people on this board are all of one political party, and I would guess the people on the district board belong to another...."
But he couldn't finish.
Commission Chair Ron Sanchez effectively stopped Slavin's apparent accusation from being stated.
"It is absolutely in error to think (politics) has anything to do with this subject," Sanchez said. "We don't need someone to come up here and be adversarial."
The two sparred verbally for a minute, with Slavin pointing out that, under the First Amendment, public speakers may say things that the County Commission doesn't like.
Sanchez told him his three minutes were up and moved on.
Moeller said the district is dedicated to giving the highest quality service to the taxpayers and "cutting costs whenever possible."
That is why the district board turned down the proposed purchase of a $2 million helicopter and why the district's millage rate of 0.1325 remained the same this year, the only government entity that can say that, she said.
Before the agenda item, Moeller handed each commissioner a four-page letter that disputed PFM's conclusions.
She ended the letter saying, "I respectfully request that the county resolve to go about its business and allow AMCD to do the same."
Sidebar
The PFM report analyzed potential cost savings for each of three options:
1. Keeping the district independent.
* Saves $13,435 by dropping the number of seasonal employees by one.
2. Sharing costs between district and county.
* Saves $129,441 on fleet maintenance.
* Saves $72,669 by enrolling the 29 district employees into the county health plan.
* Total: $197,098.
3. District operations assumed by the county.
* Saves $29,803 in board member salaries ($4,800 per year times five commissioners).
* Saves $145,421 in attorney, administrative and accountant costs.
* Saves $129,441 in fleet maintenance by dropping two full-time mechanics.
* Total: $383,251.
Source: Public Financial Management Inc.
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