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Stew Lilker’s

Columbia County Observer

Real news for working families.

 

County Commission Puts Private Gain Ahead of Public Trust.
Columbia County’s Working Families Take It On the Chin -- Again.

Part II

The county claims that it has offered up to $130,000 a year to hire a full time county engineer, but hasn't been able to find anyone to work for that amount.


Columbia County Florida (posted Nov. 26, 2008)
By Stew Lilker

At the November 20, 2008 County Commission meeting, the Columbia County Board  of County Commissioners (BCC), along with County Manager Dale Williams, once again proved the old adage that all politics is local, demonstrating that our  irresponsible representatives in Washington just will not be out done by the the  Good Old Boys of Columbia County.

For years outside engineer John Colson has been called the "County Engineer" by the BCC, County Manager Dale Williams, and Florida DOT. Recently, Commissioner Dewey Weaver explained the difficulty in finding an engineer to  work for the county, explaining that the county has offered up to $130,000 a year to hire a full time county engineer, but hasn't been able to find anyone to  work for that amount. After that explanation, the Board voted to give Mr. Colson  a 23% raise to $111 an hour. What the Board and the County Manager didn't  explain was that between 2005 and 2008, Mr. Colson's real raise amounted to a whopping 39% percent increase, while at the same time the county's workers were struggling along on barely a cost of living allowance.

2008_1121_Colson1

This month’s Colson invoice doesn’t look any different than last month’s. Mr. Colson billed the County $9768 without a shred of back up evidence and the Board paid it without a question asked -- business as usual in Columbia  County. This month’s unsubstantiated amount is exactly $666 dollars more than last month’s unsubstantiated invoice.

The Observer inspected invoices from Mr. Colson dating back to 2005. Mr. Colson has never given the county one shred of documentation backing up one hour of his time. His invoices state only his name, the amount of hours and his  hourly rate and the total amount due. Neither the BCC, the County Manager, the County Attorney, nor the Constitutional Officer, the Clerk of the Courts, who  has sworn an oath to protect the money of the working families of Columbia  County, has ever questioned any invoice of Mr. Colson, nor has anyone asked for  supporting documentation, until your reporter asked for it on October 16th.

During the October 16th BCC meeting, CM  Dale Williams, under direction from the Board, said he would ask Mr. Colson for supporting documentation for his next invoice.

On November 20th, despite the Board’s instructions, County Manager Dale Williams once again presented another unsubstantiated Colson invoice to the board for approval. CM Williams tried to slide Mr. Colson’s undocumented invoice past the public by adding it to the meeting agenda’s second page a barely a day before the meeting. Included along with Mr. Colson’s invoice was The Colson Letter explaining he wasn't  going to account for his time and a list of roads. Mr. Colson told the Board in his undated, handwritten letter, "I  have no intentions of playing time keeper," and also referred to anyone who asked for an accounting from him as an “audience idiot.”

When the Observer questioned the Board about Mr. Colson’s lack of supporting documentation, Commissioner Weaver passed the ball to Commissioner Ronald Williams, who in spite of having asked for documentation, told the Board, “I don’t have any problem with that invoice.”LJ Johnson for 2008_1126

At the conclusion of the meeting long time Columbia County resident and former Marine, Mr. LJ Johnson, told the Board, “In reference to the letter Mr. Lilker read, I think it is a shame that anyone in our community should be referred to as an idiot, and I myself find that offensive and something should be done about that.”

The Board and Chairman Weaver ignored Mr. Johnson’s remarks. Chairman Weaver’s answer spoke for itself, “Anything else Mr. Johnson?”

 
 
 
 
LJ Johnson for 2008_1126
At the conclusion of the meeting long time Columbia County resident and former Marine, Mr. LJ Johnson, told the Board, “In reference to the letter Mr. Lilker read, I think it is a shame that anyone in our community should be referred to as an idiot, and I myself find that offensive and something should be done about that.”