The late President Ronald Wilson Reagan once said, "Government is the problem." In this instance, he was prophetic. Tax and spend St. Johns County Commissioners and their arachnid apparatchiks are insouciant, and too often. they rather remind me of what my mother's favorite comedian, Everett McKinley Dirksen, Senate Republican Leader, said circa 1967: "A billion dollars here, a billion dollars there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." They must make their staff work smarter. Too often, their staff acts entitled, failing to respond to records request and budget questions. It's our money. Here's my April 10, 2025 letter to our all-Republican County Commissioners:
Dear Chair Joseph, Vice Chair Murphy and Commissioners Taylor, Arnold and Whitehurst:
1. I've often asked questions about our County budget process. My budget questions are unanswered and disrespected by County staff.
2. For years I've asked for a list of the County's internal controls. No response. An embezzler stole at least $786,786 from the office of ex-Sheriff DAVID SHOAR. Our maladroit County Attorney's office was unable to effect full recovery from our inept auditor because one of the two auditor contracts lacked an attorney fee provision.
3. We must know more about our County government. Democracy dies in darkness.
4. Our County Attorney and Public Information Office staff is unhelpful on records requests. We have eight (8) full-time equivalent employees in the putative Public Information Office, which does nothing to help bet records released, with our cat's paw propagandist PIO Wayne Larson demurely deferring to the County Attorney's office.
5. Please direct all County staff to cooperate with my records requests, from this day forward.
6. Please reform and make our budget process meaningful, with full public participation as in years past.
8. Please place on our April 15, 2025 SJC BoCC agenda a resolution, directing that our Clerk of Courts and Comptroller, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections and Property Appraiser provide their draft budgets by May 1, so that we may review their internal controls during the County Administrator budget hearing in May. F.S. 129.03(2) states, "(2) On or before June 1 of each year, the sheriff, the clerk of the circuit court and county comptroller, the tax collector subject to a resolution entered into pursuant to s. 145.022(1), and the supervisor of elections shall each submit to the board of county commissioners a tentative budget for their respective offices for the ensuing fiscal year. However, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, require the tentative budgets to be submitted by May 1 of each year."
9. Please recruit and appoint a County Budget Officer pursuant to F.S. 129.025:
129.025 County budget officer.— (1) Each board of county commissioners may designate a county budget officer to carry out the duties set forth in this chapter. Unless the board designates a different officer, the clerk of the circuit court or the county comptroller, if applicable, shall be the budget officer for the purposes of this chapter.
(2) The Legislature finds that the duties of county budget officer set forth in this chapter do not fall within the constitutional responsibilities performed by the several clerks of the circuit court as auditor and custodian of county funds. The position of county budget officer shall not constitute an office in the meaning of s. 5, Art. II of the State Constitution.
History.—s. 1, ch. 78-303.
10. It's our money.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am, Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
www.edslavin.com
(904) 377-4998
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Dear Mr. Larson:
1. I asked for your help.
2. Your e-mail is unhelpful.
3. Please call me to discuss the nature, structure and purpose of your office.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
www.edslavin.com
(904) 377-4998
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Thank you for the email. Copied is the county attorney’s office who handles public records. Have a super day.
| Wayne Larson, APR, CPC Director of Public Affairs Office of Public Affairs St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084 Office: 904-209-0542 | Cell: 904-426-2128 | www.sjcfl.us |
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 10:43 AM
To: Wayne Larson <wlarson@sjcfl.us>
Subject: URGENT: Delays in responding to records requests
1. Would you please be so kind as to assist me with pending records requests?
2.... I requested records re: Mr. Komando on February 17, 2025.
3. Please provide a spreadsheet listing all my pending requests.
With kindest regards, I am,
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
Trump and Elon Musk also consider government a problem.
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