Friday, March 14, 2025

SJC ANASTASIA MOSQUITO CONTROL COMMISSIONER MARTHA GLEASON RESIGNS, BLOWS WHISTLE: FULL TEXT



Here is the full text of Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission of St. Johns County Commissioner Martha Gleason's letter to Governor DeSantis, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, with copy to Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd:  

March 12, 2025

The Honorable Governor Ron DeSantis

The Honorable Wilton Simpson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture

420 The Capitol

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Dear Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson,

It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation from the Anastasia Mosquito Control District

(AMCD) Board, effective immediately. While my decision has been expedited by a family medical

situation, the larger driving force is my concerns over financial and operational matters at AMCD. When I

was elected in 2022, I made a promise to the citizens of St. Johns County to prioritize transparency, fiscal

responsibility, and accountability within AMCD. I am proud to say that during my time on the Board, I

have worked tirelessly to uphold these values and bring about positive change.

I have fought to ensure that the citizens of St. Johns County who are taxed by AMCD have access to

important information by reinstating all Board meeting videos on the AMCD website. This allows the

public to view meetings and understand how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent. Additionally, I

pushed for and successfully passed an investment policy to protect taxpayer money, as well as a legally

required auditor selection committee to ensure accountability within AMCD. Finally, I was able to pass a

resolution that disclosed how much had been spent on the mosquito museum (recently renamed education

center) and imposed a cap on the spending. As of this resignation, the education center project is nearly

40% over budget and a project that was to be closed on September 30, 2024, is yet to be closed.

Despite these accomplishments, I have come to the realization that there are deeper issues within AMCD

that require more than just policy updates or changes. I have witnessed financial and operational

mismanagement issues and have become aware of serious HR issues, including a culture of intimidation

and retribution that prevent employees from speaking out. It is clear to me that significant changes need to

be made to ensure the well-being of both employees and taxpayers.

In stepping down from the Board, I hope to bring positive scrutiny from the State on how AMCD is

managed. I also hope that in appointing my successor you consider someone with a strong business

background that will continue to safeguard St. Johns County tax dollars while fostering a work

environment free from fear of retribution.

Page 1 of 2AMCD Commissioner Martha Gleason Resignation

I will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility in any way that I can,

and hope that the citizens of St. Johns County will continue to hold the Board accountable for the

decisions they make.

Finally, I want to thank the citizens of St. Johns County for the opportunity to serve them, and I hope that

my resignation will bring much-needed attention to AMCD that will result in positive changes.

Sincerely,

Martha Gleason

Commissioner

Anastasia Mosquito Control District

Cc: Secretary Cord Byrd, Department of State

3 comments:

Tina Love said...

There's a drama queen in every office. It's just finding out who that's difficult in some cases. I swear people couldn't show up to some job and do nothing without some drama. That's why a lot of people need to be home on disability. It's better than slavery or people starving I guess. Too bad so many in the mental health field are pseudo intellectual dehumanizers ripped on bogus philosophy. Society would be so much healthier.

Sam said...

Cost $300 to have someone come over and cut down one tree in SJC but they'll clear cut for almost nothing if some crook shows up. Prices will be so high eventually that people will be eating their babies. I find it strange that still nothing is actually being produced here in SJC, only grifting and policing... crony capitalism and people talking for a living. Meanwhile cardboard pizza and homeless people being found skeletonized in the bushes. Folks, this is not advanced civilization.

Marcus Tanner said...

In St. John's County, you could have an engineering degree, but not get a job shoveling shit unless you have "experience" shoveling shit. It's rediculous. I left.