Cnty Employee Clint Pittman is running for Cnty Commissioner. The Ethics Policy says no can do.
May 7, 2026 8:00 am
Photo: Sutirta Budiman via Unsplash
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – County Commission Chairman Tim Murphy approved the matter of most public interest to be right at the end of this morning’s agenda: The Clint Pittman request for unpaid leave to run for County Commissioner.
Clint Pittman is an employee of Columbia County.
The County Ethics Policy, passed in 2021 by the County 5, says: a) No County Employee shall hold office as a member of the Board of County Commissioners or as County Attorney or be a candidate for such position while, at the same time, continuing as a County Employee.
That is simple language that just about anybody can understand. One can’t “be a candidate” for county commissioner “while, at the same time, continuing as a county employee.”
If the County 5, when the ordinance was enacted, wanted the candidate to be “qualified” it could have passed an ordinance that said that. But it didn’t.
Is Clint Pittman a candidate?
Florida law is clear. Candidate means any person who receives contributions or makes expenditures, or gives his or her consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures, with a view to bringing about his or her nomination or election to, or retention in, public office. And any person who appoints a treasurer and designates a primary depository.
The advisory opinions of the Department of Elections have repeatedly opined that receipt of contributions or designation of a depository makes one a candidate regardless of qualifying status.
So, Clint Pittman is a candidate for public office under Florida law. The relevant law is Florida Statute 106.011, which defines a candidate as including anyone seeking to qualify for office, and his actions—announcement, signs, donations, SOE registration —put him squarely as a candidate.
County Attorney opines that Mr. Pittman has not qualified and is therefore not a candidate.
County Attorney Joel Foreman is wrong, other than in the narrow sense that Mr. Pittman has not yet qualified.
The leave of absence
Mr. Pittman desires an unpaid leave of absence to run for public office, which means campaigning. During unpaid leave he is still an employee. The Ethics Policy (ordinance) says he can’t be both.
What will the County 5 do?
That is anybody’s guess.
Correction: updated typo in date