County Commission News: Changing of the Guard Big Red Rules - That's Politics
Columbia County, FL (Posted December
16, 2011 09:15
am)
(File
photo)_____________________________________________
At last night's Columbia County, County Commission meeting first term commissioner, Scarlet Frisina, was in the driver's seat in her first full meeting as County Commission Chairwoman. For the first time in a long time the tone was relaxed as Commissioner Frisina slammed the door on the yearlong autocratic rule of the DuPree reign. Folks got a chance to speak, questions were answered and the threat of illegal police removal was left at the front door. As the meeting drew to a close, Chairwoman Frisina removed Commissioners DuPree and DePratter from the Boards on which they sat.
For the last three years Commissioner Frisina was mostly considered as an afterthought by the "Good ol' Boys" on the board. Last night she invoked her lawful prerogative of making commissioner board appointments when she removed Commissioner DuPree from the Tourist Development Council and Commissioner DePratter from the Economic Development Committee. Both commissioners looked like they were taken by surprise.
On
the Tourist Development side, Commissioner DuPree, whose
hands-on, gloves-off no holds barred style rubbed many
the wrong way, calmly inquired of the Chairwoman, "Were
there some reason for me being on the TDC that caused me
to be removed from the TDC?" (click the speaker to
listen)
Commissioner Frisina answered that she wanted to serve on the TDC.
Later on in the meeting, at the request of Commissioner Ronald Williams, who is the Chairman of the TDC, Commissioner Frisina allowed Commissioner DuPree to complete the TDC projects that he was working on.
Commissioner
DePratter's removal from the Economic Development
Committee was unexpected and the look of surprise was
reflected in the Commissioner's face.
Commissioner DePratter was replaced by Commissioner Williams, who will now chair Columbia County's economic development.
After the meeting Commissioner DePratter told the Observer, "I worked hard on that committee -- 20 hours a week. I did the best I could."
That's politics.
Comments (to add a comment go here)
On Dec 24, Malcolm from Columbia County wrote:
It is about time we had a
sensible Chairperson on the commission.
Now it is time for sensible solutions not good old boy
solutions.
Like many I had become disgusted with the demeaning tone
of the
meetings and stopped attending. I hope the future is
more positive.
