By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
A father and his adult daughter have qualified to run for two Bronson Town Council seats in the Sept. 10 municipal election and there appears to be no ethical issues if both were elected to office.
That being said, there are issues that could arise.
Former Mayor Frank Schuler has qualified to run against Councilman Berlon Weeks for Seat 5 and his daughter, Sherrie Schuler has qualified to run against Councilman Jason Hunt for Seat 4.
Town Clerk Shirley Miller said she checked with the Florida Commission on Ethics and was told the only issue that could potentially arise if both were to serve on the council would relate to appointment of the mayor.
Should one of the two family members be nominated for mayor, the other would have to abstain because they would be voting to give a family member a higher level of authority, she said.
Miller said it was her understanding the ethics official was describing “immediate family” when he spoke of abstaining, but he also said that if the issue ever surfaced a council member should contact him for an opinion. He couldn’t give an official legal opinion to anyone but a council member.
Supervisor of Elections Tammy Jones was asked Monday if it is legal for two people as closely related as the Schulers to legally serve together on the town council considering the requirements of Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The Sunshine Law requires all of the town’s official business to be conducted by the town council in open and advertised public meetings. Private discussion of town business that could come for a vote would be a violation.
Jones said they can’t talk to each other in private about town business.
“If they have a family get together they can’t talk about city business if it could come to a vote later,” she said.
Former Councilman Aaron Edmondson qualified to run against Councilman James Beck for Seat 2. Edmondson still owes the town $1,703 for a loan that was illegally advanced to him by the town to pay for health care. The original sum totaled $4,100. He is making payments. He missed last month’s payment.
There are two other close family members already serving on the Bronson council. Mayor Robert Partin is the uncle of Jason Hunt. They aren’t as closely related as a father and daughter, but they are close kin.
County Commissioner Chairman John Meeks and his second cousin, County Commissioner Rock Meeks are relatively close kin. They serve on the same elected board.
Williston Mayor Jerry Robinson is married to City Councilwoman Marguerite Robinson but the mayor doesn’t have a vote on the city council. He oversees the police and fire departments but can’t vote on issues related to those departments or any other city business.
The Schulers would vote like other council members except in rare instances where they might have conflict such as appointing the mayor.
Town of Bronson Election Information Posted August 5, 2019
