Monday, December 02, 2024

"Vigor in arduis" --- Latin for "strength in difficult times."

Just found this inspiring Latin motto, by serendipity -- how cool is that!?: 

"Vigor in arduis" --- Latin for "strength in difficult times."

(Motto of Cardinal William Henry O'Connell, the late second Archbishop of Boston, whose grandnephew was Paul G. Kirk, Jr., U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy's political person and later briefly a U.S. Senator after EMK died.  During my freshman and sophomore years, as an intern, commencing shortly after President Richard Milhous Nixon resigned in disgrace before impeachment, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday afternoons during the school year, I would often deliver the mail to Paul and Gail Kirk in their office -- Paul Kirk et ux staffed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees from Communism)

Dr. Daniel Young Patterson, M.D., MPH, R.I.P.

 I was blessed to see and hear Dr. Daniel Young Patterson, MD, MPH in 1998. He spoke eloquently about HMO abuses, and chaired the panel.  His three hour program came at the very end of the powerfully empowering and educational annual meeting of ATLA (now the Association for Justice), in Washington, D.C.  At the end of five days of an intellectual feast of plaintiff legal education, Dr. Patterson led a poignant, ironic and sometimes funny three hour continuing legal education program, exposing HMOs and their works and pomps. I spoke to Dr. Patterson immediately afterwards, and told him about a medical malpractice case against a psychiatrist who falsely called my client "paranoid, delusional and psychotic" for raising concerns about the toxic working environment at the K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Dr. Patterson read the medical evidence and he met with my Sherrie and Doug Farver, my client and her husband. Dr. Patterson found that Sherrie was not "paranoid, delusional or psychotic." Dr. Kenneth Carpenter's false testimony at her security clearance hearing was the final act by the terrible toxic, hostile Department of Energy and Lockheed Martin working environment in Oak Ridge. Dr. Carpenter's junk science psychiatric diagnosis  ended Sherrie's 11.5 year career in radiation protection; she particularly enjoyed teaching employees about radiation protection. Firing her because she lost her security clearance silenced her and deprived employees of their Right to Know about radioactive materials, with which they were daily dosed.  Upon interviewing Sherrie and reading the medical records (which medical records the M.D.-psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth Carpenter never read), Dr. Patterson readily agreed to testify.  Dr. Patterson's reasoned and documented medical opinion exposed malpractice and helped make history in Sherrie Farver's case against a malfeasant frequent testifier for DOE, TVA and government contractors against their own employees.   After a 2.5 day jury trial from March 30-April 5, 1999, a Circuit Court jury of twelve Anderson County citizens ruled for medical malpractice plaintiff Ms. Sherrie Graham Farver. Farver v. Carpenter sent a message heard around the world, a victory vindicating the rights of oppressed, poisoned Oak Ridge, Tennessee nuclear weapons plant workers.  Never before in Dr. Patterson's entire career had he ever a testified against another physician.  Dr. Patterson's candid testimony took about an hour.  The jury believed Dr. Patterson.  On April 5, 1999 (Easter Monday), they unanimously returned what was (then and there) a record verdict for a living victim of medical malpractice. Dr. Dan Patterson was a magnificent man and a great American. We need more ethical people like Dr. Patterson, who speak the truth and testify truthfully without fear or favor of powerful oligarchs. As the British poet John Dunne said of death, "do not ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." More here: https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2024/04/april-5-1999-farver-v-carpenter-jury.html

https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2024/04/j-paul-sanderson-rip.html

https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2019/05/honorable-circuit-court-judge-james.html

Here's Dr. Patterson's obituary from the Wilmington (N.C. ) Star-News:

Obituaries in Wilmington, NC | Wilmington Star-News

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Daniel Young Patterson was born in Louisville, Kentucky on February 9, 1940 and died on October 28, 2024 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Devoted husband for 62 years to Sue Alice McCauley Patterson. Loyal son of the late Elizabeth Gerber Patterson and William Robinson Patterson. Loving father to Dylan Joseph Patterson; sweet brother to Lynn Elizabeth Patterson (Arthur Peter) and William Robinson Patterson, Junior; loving grandfather to Oskar Galileo Gambony-Steding; supportive godfather to Christian Patterson; loving uncle to Cary Peter (Lavanya Peter), Katie Windham (Tom Windham), Kathy Wozniak (Adam Wozniak), Lee Maguire (Rich McGuire), the late James Thomas Kane (Vanessa Kane) and the late William Robinson Patterson III, and their wonderful children and grandchildren.

Dan was educated in Kentucky, graduating from Lexington Catholic High School. He received both undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Kentucky receiving the Dean’s award of his graduating class at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

He received his post medical school training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, with an internship in pediatrics and residency training at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic. He also obtained a Masters of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene. He won the George Ginsberg Fellowship Award which recognizes psychiatric residents. Five are awarded annually across the country for excellence in teaching and in clinical administration.

While serving his military obligation through the Public Health Service, Dan was made director of the new Health Maintenance Organization Service in the Nixon administration. At the request of the American Psychiatric Association, he twice presented testimony regarding managed mental healthcare before Sen. Edward Kennedy to the committee on labor and human resources, United States Senate. He also presented US Congressional Testimony before Senate and House of Representatives’ committees on managed care and mental health matters.

Returning to clinical practice, Dan was Chief of Psychiatric Service for two large health maintenance organizations in the Washington, DC area. He was board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Managed Care Medicine.

In 2003, he was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. While in clinical practice, he had faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Georgetown, and the University of North Carolina medical schools.

From 1986 to 1991, he served as the Founding Medical Director of American PsychManagement Corporation/Value Behavioral, developing more cost-effective mental health delivery systems across the country for IBM and other Fortune 500 companies.

Dan was a consultant to the national committee for quality assurance (NCQA), Fortune 500 companies, and numerous HMOs and managed behavioral organizations. He also served as an expert witness in over fifty court cases involving managed health and behavioral care and published articles and book chapters on health and mental healthcare. Dan’s career passion was developing better mental healthcare at a lower cost for the average American family.

After leaving the Washington, DC area, Dan and his wife moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where he developed a clinical practice and for two years served as the Medical Director of The Wilmington Health Association.

Since retirement in 2005, Dan served on the Board of Directors of Plantation Village and participated in grant review for the Landfall Foundation. He and his wife joined The Country Club of Landfall and The Surf Club and greatly enjoyed the amenities and friendships made there.

Dan tried to live by the golden rule and dearly loved his wife, son, grandson, extended family, and many friends. A private memorial has already taken place.

Donations in Dan’s memory may be made to Kenan Chapel (kenanchapel.com) or Theatre for All (theatreforall.org).

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Posted online on November 12, 2024

Published in Wilmington Star-News




Sunday, December 01, 2024

Read Florida Statute 129.08 Lately?

We want elected Commissioners who will do their jobs without fear or favor.  We need no more rubber -stampers. We disdain the history of developer dupes. We reject the works and pomps of pompous or preoccupied or unctuous other-directed hick hacks.  We will no longer suffer or permit government office to be controlled by unjust stewards.  We reject the Reign of Error of third-rate officials who preside over a sixth rate government.  They hired and rehired an unqualified County Administrator who did not apply for the job, seemingly oblivious to the fact that HUNTER SINCLAIR CONRAD was an unindicted conspirator in a federal bribery indictment in Chicago. They ran off County Attorney David Migut, then amidst ongoing illegalities, hired as "Acting County Attorney" one RICHARD KOMANDO, because he was Commissioner ROY ALAIMO's "friend," as such, without an application or background check. We reject the kakistocracy and kleptocracy of other-directed energumens persuaded to run for office by the David Shoars and Thomas Martin Florentinos of the world. One-party rule is wrong.  Gerrymandering is wrong.  Some of these Dickensian characters resemble the late Louisiana Governor Oscar Allen a/k/a "O.K. Allen," of whom Governor Earl Long once said, "a leaf blew into his office window once, and he signed it."

Oscar Allen

Lookie here!  Does Florida law make it a crime to do some of the wasteful, dodgy things that prior County Commissions have done?  You tell me.  In the words of The Mikado, we've "got a little list."

The 2024 Florida Statutes 

Title XI
COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
Chapter 129
COUNTY ANNUAL BUDGET
View Entire Chapter
129.08 County commissioner voting to pay illegal claim or for excess indebtedness.Each member of the board of county commissioners who knowingly and willfully votes to incur an indebtedness against the county in excess of the expenditure allowed by law or county ordinance, or to pay an illegal charge against the county, or to pay any claim against the county not authorized by law or county ordinance shall be guilty of malfeasance in office and subject to suspension and removal from office as now provided by law, and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, for each offense.
History.s. 2, ch. 6814, 1915; RGS 5332; CGL 7465; s. 4, ch. 71-14; s. 1, ch. 71-305.

St. Johns County eases public comment at meetings (Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today)

Taking away our public comment rights was perpetrated by developer toadies bullies and accomplices. 

It happened in January 2021, another unctuous uncouth unilateral action by imperious then-Chair JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER, who allegedly told a Republican group that "Democrats were getting out of hand," (After 1/6 riots, I called DJT a fascist, which is First Amendment protected activity). Fun fact: BLOCKER was booted out of office in 2022 by Krista Keating-Joseph, now BoCC Chair.  BLOCKER now seeks to become the lawyer for our mismanaged Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County; his website biography is misleading, falsely stating that he was BoCC Chair from 2018-2022.

After four years of developer cat's paws' uncouth anti-speech rules, we've suffered enough disrespect. St. Johns County Commission is now putting people first. Thank you, Chair Krista Joseph Another day, another victory over oppression and one-party rule here in St. Johns County. From Jacksonville Today/WJCT:


St. Johns County eases public comment at meetings

Published on November 27, 2024 at 3:08 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. 

When the St. Johns County Commission meets Tuesday, it will be the first meeting after some changes to the board’s public comment policy.

Instead of having to wait until around noon, people who want to speak directly to the Board of County Commissioners will now have an opportunity to do so at 9 a.m. — right at the start of the board’s meetings.

This is how the board used to offer the public an time to speak, but, four years ago, the board moved the public comment time to around 11:30 a.m. 

The decision came from County Commissioner Krista Joseph who, following a vote by the newly formed board earlier this month, now serves as the board’s chair.

“It’s been four years since residents could give their public comments early and then get on with their day,” Joseph said in a news release. “I’m so pleased to reinstate the longstanding tradition of putting residents’ comments first before discussing agenda items. I advise residents to arrive by 9 a.m. to give their comments.”

The public comment period that will now open County Commission meetings is specifically for items that are not on the board’s agenda for the day. People who want to comment on specific items that the board takes up will have to wait until that item is discussed. 

Other changes that will go into effect Dec. 3 include the removal of public safety and legislative updates that county staff have typically delivered at the beginning of meetings. 

Joseph says this move will help to streamline meetings and change the county’s focus to communicating directly with residents via press releases and social media.

Commissioners’ meetings “can last eight hours or longer, and the reason for eliminating these updates from the agenda is to get to business faster,” Joseph said. “Efficiency is key. More people will see those updates if our Office of Public Affairs handles them rather than having them presented at meetings. And then we have more time for the business at hand.”

Items on the County Commission’s agenda for Dec. 3 include planning how to spend $51 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and a discussion surrounding the county’s top priority transportation projects.

The Board of County Commissioners meets at 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month in the County Auditorium at 500 San Sebastian View. Meetings are also broadcast live online on the county’s website

The full agenda for the Dec. 3 meeting also is available on the county’s website.


author imageReporter emailNoah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand.


AMENUENSIS OR "JOURNALIST?": SEE HOW LUCIA VITI "COVERS" COUNTY COMMISSION?

Has anyone read or considered responding to this goofy, gooberish page one article in the smug, superficial, sixth-rate GANNETT's St. Augustine Record?  (Below)

My mom would say, "HOW TRITE!"  

The folly of hedge fund owned GANNETT's destruction of our local newspaper is evident when you read Lucia Viti's asinine article about who leads the salute to the Pledge of Allegiance.  Hedge fund owned, mismanaged GANNETT's few remaining sere shreds of coverage of our local governments in the incredible shrinking St. Augustine Record,  are de minimus if not de micromis. 

Amateur hour. 

Sounds like two spoiled rotten dopey disgruntled devious developer cat's paws, uneducated former County Commission Chair SARAH ARNOLD and former County Commission Chair CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST are gaslighting us again.  Neither ARNOLD nor WHITEHUST are educated. Neither matriculated. They are "typical of their types," as my Irish grandmother would say.  As my grandmom would say, "They want to be somebody. ANYBODY!"

The devious developer-directed duo is even complaining about restoring non-agenda public comment to the beginning of our meetings, a complaint masked by crocodile tears at plans to move PR presentations that were placed at the beginning of meetings by stiff-necked former County Commissioner JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER, miraculously defeated by Commissioner Krista Keating Joseph in 2022.  The ancien regime in St. Johns County is annoyed and seemingly paranoid. They don't like citizen concerns being first in our meetings, a longtime customer BLOCKER ended to shut us up after January 6, 2021, when I called DONALD JOHN TRUMP a fascist in non-agenda public comment. I spoke the truth. Untethered to truth, the GQP will do anything to win cheaper debater's points.

Not unlike two wretched punch drunk prizefighters, petty pugilists in search of a fight, cynical arachnid apparatchiks looking to abuse veterans, using them as bullets in their guns. 

Reminds me of the chapter in Eric Berne's popular 1964 psychology paperback book, "Games People Play," entitled "Let's you and him fight."

My late friend and mentor, photojournalist James David Pleasant, said, "If you want to keep a secret in St. Augustine, tell the St. Augustine Record." Founded by Henry Morrison Flagler's frontman in 1895, the Record was long a daily mash note to the Establishmentn and their fetid political machine. 

We, the People defeated their foul, feculent, fetid, once-feared, now-furious flippant faction of developer-coddling public serpents -- other-directed by lobbyist --, two of whose candidates lost the August 20 2024 closed Republican primaries. 

Their whiny childish response is a rear guard action angry at honest government, e.g.,  newly empowered County Commissioners Krista Keating Joseph, Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor.  

Looks like a tempest in a thimble.  

"Inside baseball" from the louche losers' peculiar point of view? You tell me. Distorting, not reporting, by someone never seen in the County Commission Auditorium? The St. Augustine Record needs an editor and real journalists again. 

When we buy a newspaper, we're supposedly paying for reporters, not for flaks, fluffing, fluffers, flummery, dupery, nincompoopery, twaddle and Trumpery. 

Lucia Viti's new coverage of the 2024 elections was PR fluffery, mocking concerns about campaign contributions while not using government documents to explore the issue. "I hate shallowness," as FBI Associate Director Mark Felt told Bob Woodward (portrayed by Hal Holbrook and Robert Redford in the. movie, "All The President's Men.")

Amateur amanuensis Lucia Viti should be replaced by GANNETT with experienced politics and government reporters.  Lucia Viti's Yellow Journalism -- manufacturing a page one lurid headline out of sour grapes -- is mystifying.  Cheap shots.  Low class.  No class.

How many women or minority veterans has the "Veterans Council" ever selected to lead the pledge?  

How many veterans or others are "upset?"  

The article is full of exaggerations and seeming sexism and misogyny. White male privilege, pouting?

Why complain that veterans who happen to be "paid government employees" would lead the pledge? Every American veteran is a current or past "paid government employee."  As GQP pejoratives go, that one rings hollow and sounds stupid, like the ranting cant that DONALD JOHN TRUMP emits at rallies. How gauche and louche.  

As a machine-gunner with the 82nd ABN DIVN paratrooper in WWII, my dad was a "paid government employee," paid $50/month to jump out of C-47s and machine gun Nazis, later receiving less than $7/month VA benefits for his disability (malaria and shrapnel in his knee). 

The phrase "paid government employee" is disrespectful and divisive.  It erects a false dichotomy between "veterans" and "paid government employees" who are veterans.  It flunks the laugh test and the smell test.

Enough flummery, 

Sounds like pompous, political pearl-clutching, haughty hateful histrionics, arrogantly affecting anger and wild indignation, in an article that twice uses the word "upset," quoting Republican apparatchik LTC William Dudley's extravagant or misleading claims, seemingly unadorned by evidence, empathy or the milk of human kindness. 

Phony affectations of martyrdom are beneath the genius of a free people.

And as they say in the military, "Quit your damn bellyaching!" 

Or as Rodney King would say, "can't we all get along?" 

Quo vobis videtor?

(What do y'all reckon?)

Distorted article from the hedge fund owned, incredible shrinking St. Augustine WReckord:


COUNTY

New St. Johns Commission chair changes who will lead the pledge, upsetting the Veterans Council

Newly appointed County Commissioner Krista Joseph removes the Veteran's Council from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings to make room for others

Portrait of Lucia VitiLucia Viti
St. Augustine Record

The new chair of the St. Johns County Commission has ended a longtime practice of having a member of the county's Veterans Council lead the Pledge of Allegiance to start meetings, saying she'd like to open it up to other veterans and Gold Star families.

The decision isn't sitting well with some.

On Nov. 19, St. Johns County Commissioner Krista Joseph was voted in as chair and Commissioner Clay Murphy as vice chair of the County Commission. Ann Taylor was also sworn in as the newly elected commissioner for District 5.

One day later, the county’s administrative office sent an email to William Dudley, chairman of the St. Johns County Veterans Council Inc., stating that Joseph had decided to “implement a new plan of action for the meeting invocation and pledge.”

The email said Joseph would instead have county staff who are veterans recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Please note that Dennis Hollingsworth will remain as the person for the December 3rd pledge. However, December 17th will be Chuck Labonowski at the request of Commissioner Joseph,” the statement said.

Dudley, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, told the St. Augustine Record that he had no idea why Joseph decided against having Veterans Council members perform the time-honored tradition.

“She apparently has her reason for doing it,” he said. “I have no idea what those reasons are, but I can tell you this, there's a lot (sic) of upset (sic) people in this county and a lot (sic) of upset (sic) veterans.”

In a written statement, Joseph told The Record that she considers the Pledge of Allegiance the single most important part of the meeting.

“As a Gold Star mom whose son died for his country, I made a proposal to extend the list of people who can LEAD the Pledge of Allegiance at our commissioner meetings to include staff members who are veterans and Gold Star families,” she wrote. “My goal is to be inclusive of MORE people who have sacrificed for our country.

“Saying the Pledge of Allegiance is how we honor our flag, our liberty and the unity of our country,” she said. “I certainly hope that giving more vets and Gold Star families the privilege of leading the pledge is an honor that every resident will support.”

A longtime tradition

According to Dudley, “years back (sic) the chairman at the time” requested that a veteran recite the Pledge of Allegiance instead of a commission member. The Veterans Council then became responsible for “furnishing a veteran” prior to every meeting.

“And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing,” he said.

Dudley said that at the onset of each new year, he received the County Commission meeting schedule from the county administration.

 “I, in turn, reached out to members of the veterans community — which is comprised of all the veterans’ organizations in the county — to get a candidate from each organization to recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” he said.

Dudley then supplied the county with 24 veterans who would recite the Pledge following a local clergy member who recites the meeting’s invocation.

“Names include rank, military branch of service and where they served so it’s printed in the in the agenda for that day,” he said. “That’s how it’s done.

“Now a county employee who is a veteran will recite the pledge,” he said. “That's upsetting a lot of veterans. You're going to have a paid employee do what the veteran volunteers representing the various veterans’ organizations in the city or the county were doing for years?"

Dudley said that what it really “boiled down to was that a paid employee” would be reciting the Pledge.

“We’ve always had such an outstanding relationship with Board of County Commissioners,” he said. “It’s such a congenial relationship. They've always supported the Veterans Council. Support has been given willingly and overwhelmingly. There was never a rift.”

Dudley added that the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and every St. Johns County agency support the Veterans Council.

“So, this comes as a real shock,” he said.

Other commissioners weigh in

And Dudley isn’t the only individual upset by Joseph’s position.

While Commissioner Joseph has the right to set the agenda as chair, I am deeply disappointed with her decision to remove the Veterans Council from leading our meetings in the Pledge of Allegiance,” Commissioner Christian Whitehurst told The Record. “The tradition was started not only to honor the veterans in our county, but to honor the incredible work that Bill Dudley and our Veterans Council do in serving the needs of our Veterans.

“I strongly disagree with Commissioner Joseph’s decision and pray that she will come to her senses and bring the St. Johns County Veterans Council back to our meetings where they belong,” he said.

Former Board Chair Sarah Arnold said that she was disturbed by the decision to eliminate the Veterans Council as the “organization that leads us.”

“I spoke with Colonel Bill Dudley as well as members of our community who are uncomfortable at how quickly long-standing traditions are being tossed aside given the lack of community input,” she said.

Arnold said that eliminating the Veterans Council was not the only change taking place.

“Eliminating public safety updates, infrastructure and legislative updates are extremely concerning, and take us away from the transparency I've spent the last year striving to bring to our meetings for the benefit of our residents," she said.

Taylor, newly elected to the board, expressed her support for Joseph’s measure.

“We’ll be increasing the pool of veterans and give more of them the opportunity to experience this honor,” she said in a written statement.

Murphy did not respond to our efforts for a statement.

The Record reached out to Joseph to clarify whether the Pledge would be recited by veterans and Gold Star families who are not residents of St. Johns County. As of publication, she had not responded.

 

Bonuses for mosquito control board may have been improper. (Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today/WJCT, November 26, 2024)

Great news coverage by Noah Hertz of yet another incorrigibly secretive, mismanaged and wasteful government organization here in corrupt St. Johns County! Outgoing outrageous Anastasia Mosquito Control District Commissioner Catherine Brandhorst (R), oddly claiming she's underpaid, missed some 37 meetings and still got paid for them.  Governor RONALD DION DeSANTIS ignored AMCD's 4-1 vote to urge him to remove Brandhorst (R) under Article IV, Section 7 of our Florida Constitution. Wonder why?  Imperious Commissioner Catherine Brandhorst missed the deadline to file for re-election by some two (2) minutes, and thankfully this unjust steward will no longer encumber a seat on AMCD after her final meeting on December 12, 2024. Full disclosure: I filed to run for that seat, which T.J. Mazzotta won in the November 5, 2024 election.)

More on the AMCD Commissioner bonuses herehttps://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/25979735/3972261674353802785

Bonuses for mosquito control district
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District is responsible for keeping the population of the blood-sucking pests down in St. Johns County. | Anastasia Mosquito Control District

Bonuses for mosquito control board may have been improper

Published on November 26, 2024 at 3:31 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. 

A board of elected officials in St. Johns County may have violated the law by giving themselves holiday bonuses for at least six years, including $1,000 the past two years.

The five-member board of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District approved the bonuses Nov. 21 for themselves and the agency’s 44 employees.

Bonuses for mosquito control district
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District is responsible for keeping the population of the blood-sucking pests down in St. Johns County. | Anastasia Mosquito Control District

Bonuses for mosquito control board may have been improper

Published on November 26, 2024 at 3:31 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. 

A board of elected officials in St. Johns County may have violated the law by giving themselves holiday bonuses for at least six years, including $1,000 the past two years.

The five-member board of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District approved the bonuses Nov. 21 for themselves and the agency’s 44 employees.

The holiday bonus is on top of the $4,800 annual salary board members take home — the maximum the state allows for mosquito control district board members. 

One board member said the bonuses are necessary because, unlike the district’s employees, elected board members don’t receive regular raises.

“It’s simply not fair,” Commissioner Catherine Brandhorst said during the meeting last week. “Employees receive a raise every year. They receive a cost-of-living adjustment, and we receive nothing.”

ut Florida law is fairly explicit on the issue.

Florida statute states that mosquito control board members cannot supplement their maximum $4,800 salaries with anything other than travel fees for official business.

Florida’s law also states that elected officials are barred from voting on any measure that would provide a direct monetary benefit to that official.

The Mosquito Control District is a special taxing district separate from St. Johns County’s government. The district handles mosquito control through spraying insecticide, offers education on mosquitoes — like the disease vector museum the district operates — and conducts research on effective insect-killing. It’s all overseen by a five-member board of elected commissioners.

At least one of the commissioners is having second thoughts about the bonuses. 

Commissioner Martha Gleason was absent from the meeting and questioned the vote after she said a constituent alerted her that the bonuses may be against the law.

“I want to assure you that I take this matter seriously and will be proposing a motion to revoke the Board bonuses at the upcoming December meeting,” Gleason posted on Facebook. “It is essential to uphold transparency and accountability in our actions as public servants.”

Gleason, who was elected to the board in 2022, told Jacksonville Today she wasn’t completely on board with the measure last year — although she voted to approve those $1,000 holiday bonuses for board members and staff. She said her main focus last year was on the staff. 

But after hearing this year that the bonuses could be against the law, Gleason reached out to the board’s recently appointed attorney, Amy Myers.

Myers confirmed to Gleason this week that there is no provision in the district’s charter that “authorizes this additional compensation for Commissioners.”

“If there is authority elsewhere in the statutes, I am similarly unaware of it,” Myers continued.

Ben Wilcox, director of the government watchdog group Integrity Florida, isn’t aware of anything either. But, he said the state’s mechanism for investigating a potential violation like this relies on a constituent filing an ethics violation.

“I don’t know if the Florida Commission on Ethics would find that the complaint had legal sufficiency or not,” Wilcox told Jacksonville Today, “but it would still be worth somebody trying to file an ethics complaint.”

Larger bonuses proposed

The bonuses were nearly higher before the board settled on the $1,000 amount.

Commissioner Brandhorst recommended changing the bonuses to be based on merit: $500 for every year served on the board. 

Brandhorst’s 14-year term on the board is coming to an end now that T.J. Mazzotta has been elected to her seat. Having served since 2010, Brandhorst would have taken home a $7,000 bonus under the change she proposed.

Her proposal didn’t go anywhere. Commissioner Trish Becker called it “wasteful.” 

Jacksonville Today was unable to reach Brandhorst for comment this week.

It was not the first time Brandhorst has met with friction from fellow commissioners. Earlier this year, the board sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis complaining about Brandhorst’s repeated unannounced absences and tardiness at the monthly board meetings.

The board holds public meetings once per month at the district’s headquarters at 120 EOC Drive near St. Augustine.

The topic of bonuses will be addressed at the next board meeting, at 5 p.m. Dec. 12.


author imageReporter emailNoah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand.