Editorial
Do the city leaders understand there is a difference between an Appointment and an Election?
The Charter does not specify what particular information must be submitted to establish one’s qualifications or a timeline for submitting the information for an appointment but established Florida statutes do require specified documents to be filled out prior to an Appointment or an Election.
The facts are that Kelly Koos, City Clerk, and Palmer Davis, City Attorney set up the required documents and time frame to fill out for Commissioner Walker’s seat. And the City Commissioners agreed to it. So a procedure to follow was set.
The Charter, the governing legal authority, vests the authority to select an interim commissioner in a majority of the remaining members of the City Commission. Those members must determine whether an individual under consideration for appointment meets the qualifications to fill the vacant seat.
The Charter does not restrict what information the City Commission may rely upon in determining the qualifications of an individual for appointment to an interim commission seat.
It is reasonable for those members to rely upon the information required by Florida Statute and the required documents and time frame agreed to by the members aka commissioners.
Eight people filled all asked for and required documents but Walker did not do any of that, why. Can he not read and follow simple instructions?
This is a microcosm of everything that is wrong right now in our city commission. No longer a local government of what is of the people by the people or for the people.
Contact your City Commissioners today by email and tell them to remove Walker from the list now.
Yes, ‘editorial writer’, if he isn’t qualified, then he isn’t. Moot question, he Walker did the right thing and withdrew. Actually, he should not have tried to squeeze himself back in by email at the last moment.