After a discussion about process and the qualifications of one candidate, the Leon County Commission settled on 15 names to send to Governor Ron DeSantis for the Children’s Services Council Board.
Based on a process set earlier, each of the seven county commissioners had two picks from the pool of 83 applicants. The fifteenth selection was made by the Board.
The governor will choose five of the 15 names to ultimately set on the Board. The other five seats are required by law to be filled by the County Commission, a Leon County School board member, the Leon County Schools superintendent a Juvenile Court Judge, and a DCF Administrator.
The nominees were approved but not before questions were raised by Board Chairman Rick Minor about Commissioner Proctors appointment of Barney Bishop.
Minor raised concerns about Bishop’s opposition to the Children’s Service Council and his potential role a “watchdog” over the group.
Proctor pushed back by noting Bishop’s credentials which include serving on the FAMU Board of Trustee’s and as the Executive Director of Associated Industries of Florida.
The fifteen nominees are:
- Mark O’Bryant
- Paul Mitchell
- Eric Whitehead
- Brooke Brunner
- Dr. Mimi Graham
- Tom Derzypolski
- Max Herrle
- Matt Guse
- Jay Reeve
- Dr. Zandra Glenn
- Carmen Conner
- Liza McFadden
- Dr. Benny Bolden
- Barney Bishop
- Dr. Henry Lewis
After receiving the list of names, the governor will have 45 days to choose five.
The vote came after an intense debate, with Commission Chair Rick Minor disputing Vice Chair Bill Proctor’s nomination of Barney Bishop, who was vocal in his criticism of the ballot initiative before it passed. Commissioner Minor argued that Bishop’s desire to serve as a watchdog would be better implemented from outside of the CSC, but the list of 15 passed six to one.
The ballot initiative to create the Children’s Services Council passed in Leon County with about 65% of the vote in November of 2020.
Since no one has brought it up yet, I guess I will...…….The CSC is supposed to take care of a lot of the Children's needs....The County Commissioners should stop giving money to most of the "Nonprofits" since they do a lot of the same things or at the very least, cut back on the amounts.
Max Herrle - our new Adam Corey. Wonder if he's taken anyone else to visit Scottie.
This is such B.S.! More taxpayer funded government programs without any oversight or control of the money that will not be spent on children.
We all know it will happen, it's just a matter of WHEN. How many Months before they spend all of the $8 Million and have to raise our Property Taxes again?
With this list we confirm that it is business as usual. The evidence is that you have placed a lobbyist on the list. Will we never learn?
This is exactly why there should be an amendment to Florida’s State Constitution that prohibits those who do not own property from voting on ballot initiatives/referendums attached to a property tax increase. The masses voted for this based on an emotion, the tried and true “it’s all about the children” tactic. The very same people who lament their compassion for our children, also parade in support for murdering hundreds of thousand innocent babies a year via unfettered abortion, particularly in communities “of color”. When will you people wake up to the realities of the deception?
I hope Bishop makes it through the final cut and has the intestinal fortitude to publicly demand 100% transparency and accountability, and also withstands the pressure to fall in line with the corrupt establishment that permeates our halls of government.
Good points Hope Rick Minor showed his true colors by his remarks - basically a disdain for childern, his lustful greed for illegitimate personal financial gain at taxpayer expenst, his perverted lust for more government, along with his deviant desires to scratch usual suspects backsides while they scratch his.
Rick Minor thanks for "comming out" in an oh so public way!!!!
Oh and like Hope a heart felt thank you to Bill "The Man" Proctor!
Just another Democratic Party boondoggle that goes nowhere in the terms of helping humanity. but just creating chaos and bureaucracy to empower themselves.
Rick Minor is good at being a Democratic Party operative and carrying the momentum and torch for their chaos and bureaucratic programs. He makes decisions that only empower themselves and not humanity.
Barney Bishop should be the first name on the list and so thankful that he is on this list. Thank you commissioner Proctor.
The CSC is 80% for the benifit of our beloved local usual suspects.
19% will be necessary to hire some CSC staff who's main function will be to shield the board from public inquiries and complaints.
Ya'll voted for this.
Most of you local voters knew how it was going to be operated with the above 80/19 split.
None of ya'll ever thought Barney would somehow make the cut...did ya'll?
You know now The Gov's gonna make sure that Barney's gonna make the cut.
Whizzed off much?
It is fitting that someone on the CSC is a skeptic and will present a dissenting voice on how it is ran, how the money is spent, and how far this additional taxing authority is going to go...in the name of the children. There needs to be 2 or 3 more that will push back, and not be just a rubber stamp.
The CSC will end up being another boondoggle for Tallahassee eventually, if not in the first 2-3 years. The bureaucracy being created will be hard to unravel, because no one will be accountable, and taxpayers will have no say at all. But since its already been passed into law...I guess we'll just have to sit back and take our medicine.
You, do indeed, want someone on the council who opposed it. They are the ones who will do their best to make sure money is spent as wisely as possible and not just thrown away.
Too many politicos and not enough people with a history of child advocacy!