Levy County Animal Services Director David Weatherford takes an audience question Tuesday about his mishandling of a private grant.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Levy County Animal Services Director David Weatherford was given a public reprimand Tuesday by County Commission Chairman John Meeks for notifying the board late that a private $15,000 spay and neutering grant had been awarded.

            Commissioners voted to give Meeks authority to sign the grant five days after it should have been returned to Florida Animal Friend, an organization that funds animal grants through license plate sales.

            Meeks said Weatherford should have informed the board and county Grant Coordinator Tisha Whitehurst the grant had been requested by the Humane Society of North Central Florida on behalf of the county.

            Weatherford apparently wasn’t aware the county commission was listed as the recipient of the grant. He assumed the Humane Society would receive the grant money.

            But Meeks said the big mistake was failing to notify the board.

            “We can’t just have departments go out and apply for grants without telling us,” Meeks said. “Everyone seemed to want to give David a hall pass on this, but I wanted to be sure to let David know, don’t apply for another grant without coming to the board.

            The board will receive the grant money despite Weatherford’s “booboo,” as Meeks described it.

            The Humane Society of North Central Florida applied for the grant from Florida Animal Friends. Weatherford didn’t realize the county commission was the recipient until County Attorney Anne Bast Brown saw the grant paperwork.

            Commissioners placed the issue on Tuesday’s agenda with the aim of sending the signed grant agreement back to Florida Animal Friend immediately. When any type of grant comes to the board, commissioners must accept the grant and Meeks must sign the agreement as board chairman.

            Weatherford told commissioners he had just learned the grant had been awarded by Florida Animal Friend, but an Aug. 1 letter from Florida Animal Friend notified Weatherford the grant was awarded and needed to be signed and returned by Aug. 15.

            Commissioner Mike Joyner said Weatherford “stubbed his toe” on this one, but Joyner said he felt Weatherford was a good animal services director in every other respect.

            Meeks wasn’t happy with Weatherford making the mistake.

            “There was a lack of communications,” he said.

            Meeks said if Weatherford had told Whitehurst about the grant, she would have noticed the grant money was coming to the Levy County Commission, not to the Humane Society of North Central Florida and responded appropriately.

——-

Board of County Commission Regular Meeting August 20, 2019; Posted August 20, 2019