Opinion by Linda Dean Cooper
Clerk Danny Shipp has been a no-show at BoCC meetings and committees of the Board for years. Check the minutes for the last time he made a roll call. His role as Clerk clearly states he is to attend BoCC meetings and other committees of the Board.
Is it true he threatens employees with dismissal if they speak to anyone “across the street?” Stating “I’m still the Clerk and can fire you!” That is what I’ve been told. Most of his employees are keeping their heads down and out of the way of this loose cannon of a Clerk.
Botched County Payroll
The Clerk botched the payroll a few weeks ago by paying BoCC employees twice and his people nothing. I’m not surprised by the botched payroll. Who can work under those antagonistic conditions, I could not. It sounds like a hostile work environment and needs to be addressed by someone who can hold the Clerk accountable for his actions.
Public Buying Clerk Shipp Propaganda?
It seems the public is buying the propaganda that the BoCC has stolen the Clerk’s authority for budget oversight, they have not and cannot according to Florida Statutes
The only change is that instead of county directors going to the Clerk’s finance officer to help create their budget, those directors will go to the newly created BoCC finance office. BoCC pays the Clerk for the ADG software privileges and use of the Clerk’s finance officer since at least 1999.
Fifty-two other counties have their in-house finance department separate from the clerk department which debunks that the BoCC is taking away the Clerk’s oversight authority. Why is Shipp and his attorneys, The Griffis Law Firm, LLC, pushing the propaganda to the public? Sour grapes from the Clerk and amassing legal fees for Griffis law firm?
Snippet of Lawsuit NO 2024-CA-000078
Here is a snippet of the lawsuit that indicates the county purchased the software CASE NO. 2024-CA-000078: “To facilitate the Clerk’s and County’s Financial Systems, the County and the Clerk on May 22, 1999, obtained a license and software agreement for Financial Information Management Systems from an entity known as America Data Group Software (“ADG”). A copy of the Agreement is attached as Exhibit “A”. The funding for this license and software agreement was by the County. The ADG Financial Management Information System provided numerous functions both for the Clerk and the County including general ledger, budget preparation, financial statements, accounts receivable, accounts payables, and payroll/personnel with check reconciliation.”
The contract also had options for the management of building permit systems and occupational license and business license components. The agreement also was priced for two databases consisting of the Clerk’s office and the Board’s functions. The BoCC has in the last few months created an in-house finance dept, and rightly so.
There is a PDF copy of the court case at the bottom of this page for those that want to know more history.
County Lost Lawsuit on Legal Technically but Not Justly?
The county lost the lawsuit, in my opinion, because no one from the county signed the contract along with the Clerk and ADG 1999. Then Clerk “Mac” McKoy was the liaison for ADG software negotiations and signed the contract with ADG, American Data Group. It was understood that the Clerk and the County would have access to ADG, no contract signature was required. Things were different in Levy County in 1999. Now we are surrounded by rogue dinosaur elected officials, and ambulance-chasing attorneys, using taxpayer dollars to foot the bill.
Double Standard for Clerk and Attorney Stanley Griffis?
April 9, 2024, Attorney Stanley Griffis’s law office email to the county attorney stated: “Finally, the ongoing contact with Clerk’s employees or agents for access/information to Clerk’s data contained in your requests is improper. Neither Ali, nor any other county employee, has permission to directly obtain data from the Clerk’s IT staff.”
June 20, 2024, Attorney Griffis’s email:” I request an electronic copy of the PowerPoint presentation used by Jared Blanton at the budget workshop on June 18, 2024, in its native PowerPoint format. Your response to this request may be sent to this email.”
The June 18th budget meeting was for constitutional officers to present, discuss, or adjust their budget requests. Shipp was a no-show. His budget had errors that were exposed in a database, factual presentation that no one from his office could explain if an error or not.
The Clerk has the audio version of the presentation so why ask for the PowerPoint presentation to be sent electronically by attorney Griffis? To poke the county in the eye at taxpayer expense again, or because they can?
My latest experience with Shipp’s office confirms it is not one for responding to record requests in an electronic format unless pressured. Shipp’s go-to method is $.15 per hard copy page, not so timely but legal time-frame, then must travel to the Clerk’s office to pick it up.
Elections have consequences! Term limits for EVERY elected office will go a long way to clean up this political mess. Voters do your homework as best you can. Do not fall for “but they are so nice” or fake candidates with an agenda to feed at the government trough.
Vote for quality. Don’t be deceived by slick slogans and propaganda, look a little deeper, look into the candidate’s history or record before giving them your vote.
NOTE to Clerk Shipp: I will be doing a records request for the attorney expenses for this lawsuit. I will request it to be in an electronic format.
Below is a PDF copy of the lawsuit for those interested. It is an interesting read if only for historical knowledge and how we got to this messy business because a select few feel they have the power to play games with public perception and use our tax dollars.
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Posted June 23, 2024
