Help Wanted, BUT WHEN?: SJC To Hire Two Replacement Assistant County Attorneys. (Indeed.com website)

So St. Johns County is seeking to hire Assistant County Attorneys to replace the two who quit and went to work for Duval County. This was in the wake of Commissioners voting to hire RICHARD KOMANDO, identified as the "friend" of DeSANTIS-appointed Commissioner ROY ALYRE ALAIMO, JR., defeated in closed August 20, 2024 Republican Primary.  Now, will KOMANDO and the outgoing SJC St. Johns County Commissioners get to inflate the power of developers with more "dead hand control?"  Should;t' the hiring of new Assistant County Attorneys take place after our new Commissioners advertise the job of County Attorney after they are sworn into office in late November 2024?  Do we really want to trust an apparatchik like KOMANDO with influencing the future work of the County Attorney?  KOMANDO never applied for the job, but was sua sponte nominated for it by his "friend," ROY ALYRE ALAIMO, JR. defeated by Clay Murphy, who takes office as District 3 Commissioner in November.  You tell me.

I support a moratorium on hiring any new attorneys until we have new Commissioners.

I support a moratorium on hiring any new attorneys until Commissioners can perform a legal audit.

I support a moratorium on hiring any new attorneys until citizens can discuss the nature, structure and performance of the County Attorney's office, including its recent status as a doormat for corporate interests, including wealthy corporations and developers and government contractors. 

On Labor Day, I requested pertinent records. Interviews of prior County Attorneys were opened by SJC BoCC to citizens, thanks to Commissioner Isaac Henry Dean.  Here's my September 2, 2024 request to  St. Johns County:

Good morning:

Would you please be so kind as to e-mail me tomorrow morning, 9/3, the records on the recruitment process for Assistant County Attorney?  Please include the Florida Bar Journal ad (if any); all employment ad drafts and final display or line classified ad copy;job applications; County research on applicants; curriculum vitae; public record searches; evaluations; ratings; background investigations; interview panel qualifications and appointments; interview  notes and schedules; applicant writing samples; and recommendations or reference checks for the two (2) Assistant County Attorney position(s)? 

Please call me to discuss tomorrow.

Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,

Sincerely yours,

Ed Slavin

Box 3084

St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084

www.edslavin.com

http://www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com

http://www.staugustgreen.com

(904) 377-4998

From Indeed.com employment website:

Assistant County Attorney- job post

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners

4.54.5 out of 5 stars

500 San Sebastian View, Saint Augustine, FL 32084

$90,210.87 - $125,546.22 a year -  Full-time

Benefits

Pulled from the full job description

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Employee discount

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Health savings account

Full job description

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is seeking a Assistant County Attorney for our well-established County Attorney’s Office whose headquarters are located in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida.

St. Johns County residents enjoy a healthy quality of life with many perks including one of the top rated public school systems in the State of Florida, miles of beach shoreline, peaceful estuary scenery of the St. Johns River, long established agriculture and equestrian scene, and the nation’s oldest city, historic St. Augustine. In 2019 St. Johns County was ranked the 10th fastest growing county in the United States showcasing that there is truly something for everyone in St. Johns County!

The St. Johns County Attorney Office is responsible for providing legal services and issues legal opinions for the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administration, and other County staff.

Employees work in a team oriented environment with common goals in mind: to provide legal services in support of County government operations and for assisting in directing the operations of the County Attorney’s Office.

The newly selected Assistant County Attorney provides professional legal work of a difficult and responsible nature for St. Johns County. Assigned work is performed with limited independence within the framework of established policies and requiring considerable responsibility, initiative and judgment.

Examples of Duties:

The ideal Assistant County Attorney candidate must possess St. Johns County’s core values of compassion, innovation, and trustworthiness and must work well in a collaborative team environment. Some of the specific tasks include but are not limited to:

Drafts, negotiates, and approves county contracts, agreements, memoranda, and inter-local agreements prior to execution.

Provides legal opinion and advice to the Board of County Commissioners and to county staff.

Drafts pleadings, motions, legal opinions, legal briefs, proposed legislation, resolutions, ordinances, and requests for Attorney General Opinions.

Responds to and resolves issues related to subpoenas.

Attends meetings and provides legal counsel to the Board of County Commissioners and other local boards.

Processes public records requests.

Interprets and applies local, state, and federal legislative and regulatory laws.

Represents the county before courts of competent jurisdiction and administrative agencies.

Reviews and approves county initiatives for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners.

Represents the county in local, state, and federal court proceedings.

Responds to citizen inquiries.

Conducts public workshops.

Maintains a full-time presence on the job.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Candidates for the Assistant County Attorney are encouraged to apply if they meet the following minimum qualifications:

Graduation from an accredited school of law.

Sufficient experience to understand the basic principles relevant to the major duties of the position, usually associated with the completion of an apprenticeship/ internship or having had a similar position for one to two years.

Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver’s license and any other endorsements necessary to legally operate vehicles used while assigned to this position.

Must possess good interpersonal and communication skills in order to serve others.

Must be able to comprehend, speak and write the English language.

Must be able to operate a computer.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS:

Candidates may apply through St. Johns County’s Online Application System: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sjcfl

Applications must be submitted through St. Johns County’s Online Application System in order to be considered. Paper documents, emailed resumes or otherwise are not accepted in lieu of an application. All applications must be submitted before the advertised closing date.

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is a drug free workplace and equal opportunity employer.

All employment actions are taken without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, handicap, disability, marital status, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,210.87 - $125,546.22 per year

Benefits:

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Employee discount

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Health savings account

Life insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Professional development assistance

Retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Vision insurance

Schedule:

Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

If you require alternative methods of application or screening, you must approach the employer directly to request this as Indeed is not responsible for the employer's application process.