about my county st johns county florida

This probably is not the right year to “wing it” when casting your vote for local government officials.  This is a year for digging a bit deeper than what you see on social media and in your mailbox.  This is a year to think hard about the future of the County.

Background

Commissioner Krista Keating-Joseph just posted a Facebook post about her November 21, 2023 declaration that the 2024 election brings “hope.” If one didn’t know the backstory, this might be heartwarming.  A “grassroots” public official touting her commitment to fight for residents, not big-money developers. 

I didn’t see it that way.  I saw it as thumbing her nose at everyone who disagrees with her.  Let me explain why.

If you have followed my recent blog posts, you’ll know that this is the same comment that caused her to be censured by her fellow commissioners for using her time while working as a Commissioner (sitting right  there on the dais) to tell folks that (essentially and in my words having watched the video numerous times) that there were candidates endorsed by her that should be elected rather than the three Commissioners sitting there on the dais.

Besides the fact that is ethically inappropriate, it is also a violation of Florida Statute 104.31.  The statute is pretty clear:

(1) No officer or employee of the state, or of any county or municipality thereof, except as hereinafter exempted from provisions hereof, shall:

(a) Use his or her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or a nomination of office or coercing or influencing another person’s vote or affecting the result thereof.

It is so clear that the State Attorney has asked for a Grand Jury to convene to determine whether or not she violated the law and if so, should she be indicted.  That is appropriate – every citizen has the right to a fair hearing.  You can read State Attorney Brian S. Kramer’s Verified Declaration in full here at the bottom of the ActionNewsJAX article.  He even comments that this case should have been able to be resolved without this, but that Commissioner Joseph would not be amenable to such a resolution. You have to wonder why.

This is a serious matter

You can read the attorney’s declaration, and all the history is right here on my blog, with links to original data. 

Now it is up to the Grand Jury to determine if there was a violation of law. 

But what I want to talk about here is this debacle of an election coming up that deserves intense scrutiny by voters and how important it is that all voters carefully consider their choices.

Commissioner Joseph and several candidates endorsed by her are deliberately trashing incumbents to stack the Board of County Commissioners and vote (in a bloc) “no” on development. The vitriol has been hammering the reputation of three elected officials now for almost nine months. 

So voters, is this what you want in an elected official?  Do you want:

• An elected commissioner who openly criticizes colleagues, on and off the dais?  An elected official who shows utter disdain for the Board of Commissioners and their work?
• An elected commissioner who is so set on getting her way that she allows the courts to take over when a less public resolution should be possible?  What is there to gain from dragging this through the media?  Votes, maybe?
• An elected official that doesn’t understand that freedom of speech – a right guaranteed by our Constitution – might have different rules for elected officials?  And who keeps on citing freedom of speech even when shown the statutes?  Being a maverick is sometimes cool, but it’s important to know the rules.
• Candidates that she endorses saying that they will vote “with her?”   Really, so they’ll collectively make the decision before hearing the facts of the proposal?  That is patently unfair to those asking for the county’s decision.  That is probably the sort of thing that the Florida Sunshine Law was trying to avoid.
• A “campaign manager” of the endorsed candidates who has been so publicly brutal to anyone who dares disagree that she has been sued for defamation?  And who possibly aspires to a county leadership position when there are enough loyal commissioners to oust the current leadership?
• Endorsed candidates who are not troubled by the lawsuits filed against the Commissioner and the campaign manager?  Shouldn’t they be just a little troubled?  Still, they keep supporting the negative, the nasty and the vitriolic.  Is that how they would govern? 

My husband’s social media post on Next Door was spot on. Stop telling us what you want to do and tell us how you will do what you want to do legally and effectively.  It is well worth a read.

Perhaps I’m just old-fashioned but I do remember a time when courtesy and respect for the law and for other people were considered important.

I do not always agree with decisions by the Board of County Commissioners, but I always respect that they study the facts, the laws and make the best decisions that they are able to make at the time for the good of the county overall.

I don’t want a stacked Board of Commissioners who aren’t willing to look further than their own personal agenda.