Columbia County to Set Record Tonight: $8,000,000 plus to be rubber stamped on consent agenda
Posted February 7, 2013 08:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida's infamous good ole boy rubber stamp County Commission is looking to set a consent agenda record tonight by rubber stamping over $8,000,000 in a single vote. Many items are non budgeted items and one contract on tap with Anderson Columbia for $1,495,699.99 may be the only bid, the lowest bid, or the highest bid. The only thing the public knows is the amount and that $375,699.99 is coming out of cash reserves to make up for the difference that the grant does not finance.
Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson, the Tallahassee law firm of the NFBA debacle, is scheduled for a rubber stamp increase of 36% over last year's fees for legal services for the County assessment programs. This is just the tip of the ice berg.
The Library wants 14 new computers rubber stamped, but doesn't say how old the old ones are. Cost to the public: $10,360.19. This is a non budgeted item.
The Library wants a new rubber stamp PA system. They apparently just discovered the old PA system can't be fixed: $3,200. This is a non budgeted item.
The Library just discovered it needs a new rubber stamped server: $4,800. This is a non budgeted item.
Public Works Director, Kevin Kirby wants a rubber stamp for a new truck to pull equipment trailers. Cost: $112,993. If there were sealed bids or quotes is anybody's guess. This is a non budgeted item.
Public Works Director, Kevin Kirby wants rubber stamp approval to fix the courthouse that somebody else screwed up. Cost to Columbia County taxpayers: $150,000. This is a non budgeted item.
Public Works Director, Kevin Kirby is asking for rubber stamp approval of a FDOT grant for $1,179,000. It is unknown how much of this money comes from the state and how much comes from the feds.
Public Works Director, Kevin Kirby is asking for rubber stamp approval of $26,000, a claimed carry forward from last year to improve practice fields for PopWarner Football. This is and was a non budgeted item. Mr. Kirby does not mention PopWarner.
County Manager Dale Williams is asking for the rubber stamp for $871,900 "to budget BCC approved Southside Recreation Improvements." This is a non budgeted item.
Safety Manager David Kraus is looking for the rubber stamp for $7,500 to repair pickup trucks for code enforcement, which apparently aged overnight.
Epilogue: The beat goes on
At times it is difficult to determine why Columbia County even needs a budget.
While other counties believe that their elected representatives are the servants of the people, and are there to listen, the recent DuPree 4 year "reign of terror" turned the County upside down making the public the servants to its elected representatives.
Columbia County's infamous good ole boy County Commission doesn't want the public to be able to comment when agenda items come up.
With $8,000,000 on the rubber stamp agenda is it any wonder why?
