By Terry Witt -Spotlight Senior Reporter

                After agonizing over the decision, Levy County Commissioner Matt Brooks Tuesday changed his mind and voted with two other board members to begin negotiations with Gainesville City Nicolle Shalley for the position of Levy County Attorney.

            Brooks initially selected Walter Bullock, a fellow Williston native, as his top choice but had a change of heart when he began to think about how the most experienced of the two attorneys, Shalley, could probably hit the ground running at a time when the county is facing many legal issues.

            “I’ve had a little change of thought since that time and now, just thinking about staff and the county and needing someone who could jump right in and run,” Brooks said. “Mr. Bullock, it’s nothing against you whatsoever. I think you’re a fine attorney and you’re going to be one for years to come, but I think we’re jumping to the other side with Ms. Shalley.”

            Brooks said he agreed with Spotlight Founder Linda Cooper who attended the meeting and argued that the county needs to hire an experienced attorney now, not for the future, and not an attorney who would gradually learn the business as he gained more experience. Brooks agreed.

            “I know I said I’m looking for someone in the long term, but we really do have a lot on our plate right now,” Brooks said.

            Brooks’ motion to begin negotiations with Shalley was supported by Commission Chairman John Meeks and Commissioner Rock Meeks. Both said they thought Shelley’s comprehensive legal background was a good fit for the county in an era when the changing requirements of law and interpretations of the law shift sometimes from day to day. Commissioner Lilly Rooks wanted to hire Bullock as county attorney.

            The commission is missing one of its members. Former District 3 County Commissioner Mike Joyner passed away, leaving his position vacant. The vacancy left a 2-2 stalemate on the question of whether Bullock or Shalley should be hired as county attorney. Gov. Ron DeSantis will select Joyner’s successor.

            Chairman John Meeks said he realizes Shalley makes more money than the county can afford to pay her and he asked Shalley if she would be willing to take less than the $200,000 she earns annually. She said she would be open to the county’s offer. The county was thinking more along the lines of $120,000 to $140,000.

            Meeks told Dean not to focus exclusively on keeping the county‘s salary offer low as apparently was the case when he negotiated with the commission’s first pick for county attorney – Glenn E. Bryan – a dedicated career prosecutor who turned down the county’s job offer.

            “If you negotiate with Ms. Shalley we need to have a more open mind other than pay,” Meeks said.

            Cooper said the reason the board should choose Shalley over Bullock was relatively simple. Shalley has nearly 20 years of experience as a lawyer handling just about every phase of local government law, while Bullock has about three years of experience.

            “This board owes the citizens of Levy County the best qualified and most experienced candidate,” she said. “Hands down, based on the interview and what I’ve seen, that’s Ms. Shalley,” she said. “We don’t need to hire someone for on-the-job training and you wind up paying more for consulting fees (to outside law firms). I really think you need to look at her experience.”

            Commissioner Rock Meeks said Shalley’s experience as an attorney is what sold him on choosing her for county attorney. He said there are a considerable number of legal issues coming toward the county regarding land management and acquisition.

            “We need someone who’s well versed in that, not someone that’s going have to learn. They will need to hit the ground running,” Meeks said.

            Shalley and Bullock said they would have an open-door policy that would allow commissioners to come to visit them to chat about legal issues the county might be facing.

            “I find it very fulfilling when I can be helpful to my clients,” Shalley said.

            If Dean can’t negotiate a contract with Shalley, he will begin negotiating with Bullock.

            But Shalley said she really wants the job. She likes the county and its people. She wants to be the next county attorney.

            So does Bullock, but Shalley gets the first shot at filling the position.

            Shalley said her position as Gainesville City Attorney requires her to give two months of notice before leaving the job. She said she might be able to leave a little earlier but Alachua County can legally require her to remain on the job there for two months after she is hired in Levy County.

            Shalley said she has talked to former County Attorney Anne Bast Brown about the position of Levy County Attorney and the issues she would be facing if she got the job. She said Brown was helpful in providing her guidance.

            Brown retired on June 30, 2021. Nabors Giblin and Nickerson, a Tallahassee law firm that worked closely with Brown in a consulting capacity over the years, has been providing the county with legal guidance since Brown left.

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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting September 7, 2021; Posted September 7, 2021