Opinion By Linda Dean Cooper
Commissioner John Meeks’s and his entourage’s trip to Orlando June 25-27, was paid for by your tax dollars. This was the annual business meeting of the Florida Association of Counties and the 2024 Florida Annual County Manager Workshop (FACM)
Tretheway and White Given “ a leg up” by John Meeks?
If Willbur Dean has truly resigned, why did he attend the FCA Orlando Conference/manager workshop? Why did Procurement/ADA Coordinator Ali Tretheway and Olajuwon (Ollie) White Veterans Services Coordinator attend the same manager workshop? Have Tretheway and White been given “a leg up” on the competition Commissioner John Meeks claims he is so against? Actions speak louder than words.
Recently hired Public Information Officer Mary Ellen Harper was not in attendance. Why? She was hired in February. If you look at her quarterly reports, she has done more since February than Dean has in his tenure. Harper’s PDF quarterly reports are listed at the bottom of the article for those of you interested in the deatails. I don’t believe Dean has ever written a quarterly report describing his accomplishments or his goals for the county. At least I’ve never seen or heard of it.
PIO Job Should Be Integrated Into Asst. Manager Job
The PIO position should have been part of the assistant coordinator’s job. The Meeks’ cousins, Coordinator Dean, and Procurement Tretheway keep Harper at arm’s length and appear to try to ice her out. The PIO position is an overpaid job that should be done away as a stand-alone position but be included in the assistant coordinator, soon-to-be assistant manager position.
The Meeks cousins say one thing, but their actions say otherwise, i.e. John and Rock Meeks have said they do not want to give any employee an unfair “leg up” but their actions prove that is not true. Why would they fight so hard to keep Harper from assisting Dean? She has the credentials, and her quarterly reports show her accomplishments from assisting the animal control department, researching better acoustics, and live streaming for BoCC meetings and trying to get an up-to-date website just for starters. Dean is unable to have animal control open half a day on Saturdays!
Below is except Rock texting Dean during the July 4th Meeting to Keep Harper Out
Dean interrupts Commissioner Brooks In Mid-Sentence
“The gang of five tactics came into play when Commissioner Matt Brooks began to ask Public Information Officer Mary Ellen Harper questions about how she felt about becoming a temporary/interim assistant coordinator. Brooks asked, “ Would it interfere with her current job…..”. But Coordinator Dean much like in the previous budget meeting jumped up from his chair in his usual disruptive manner and said, “Rock’s input is that he doesn’t agree with that.” Brooks reminded Dean that Rock was not present, and he had questions for Ms. Harper.”
“How does the public know what or if Rock was texting? He missed roll call and was out sick per Chair Mills. Why did Dean feel the need to cut off Commissioner Brooks in mid-sentence? Why was Chair Mills not informed of the “texting”? If Rock wanted to be part of the meeting, he could have conferenced his phone call in so all in the auditorium could hear his comments.”
Vote on August 20 to End Meeks and Dean Regime
To end the Meeks/Dean regime, vote John Meeks out on August 20. Twelve years of doing nothing, along with his tax and spend policies have got to go. Remember just because Dean said he is resigning doesn’t make it so. February is a long way off. It took him six days to send in his resignation letter to HR. Why did he not Chair Desiree Mills? Expect the unexpected from this duo. If John Meeks is re-elected my guess is Dean will not leave!
There’s an old saying “If they lie to you they will steal from you.”
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Posted July 22, 2024
