By Linda Dean Cooper

At Tuesday’s regular BoCC meeting, the Department of Public Safety Director requested the Levy County Board of County Commissioners’ approval and the Chair’s signature on the Lease Agreement between the Town of Bronson and Levy County to house an EMS crew and supervisor at the Town’s fire station.

Is Harrell’s End Game to Take Over Bronson Volunteer Fire Station?

Was Tuesday’s Request to lease space in the new Bronson Fire House the beginning of the end for Bronson’s independence? Is Harrell’s end game to take over Bronson‘s Volunteer Fire Station?  The Town of Bronson received a $1.85 million grant to build and design their fire station.  The building is located at 655 N. Hathaway Ave. The new fire station features a kitchen and lounge area, multiple bathrooms, a bunk room, a conference room, and offices.

Harrell’s Justification for Lease Request Per BoCC Agenda:

This will allow us to re-house our Rescue 9 (Bronson) EMS crew in a more up-to-date station/facility as the current station is in need of significant repair or replacement due to age and attrition.  Harrell’s statement begs the question of why so many county buildings are in a state of disrepair.

Three County Buildings Deemed Uninhabitable – Not Including Kennel Built June 2020

• May 2024, the Baker Building which previously housed the county attorney, is said to have a leaking roof and wet carpet, etc.  The county sold it to First Southern Bank of Florence Alabama. Records show no building permits were pulled for repairs .
• November 2024, the animal services building was deemed unsafe because of unsanitary conditions and faulty equipment. A temporary trailer was delivered for shelter staff.
• January 7, 2025, Harrell requested BoCC to approve a lease agreement with the Town of Bronson to relocate the rescue crew in their current mobile home located by the Emergency Operations Center.  It is Rescue Station 9, 7851 NE 90th Street,  Bronson. Options were either replacing or rebuilding the 20-year-old mobile home because it is in dire need of repair and renovation. Rescue Station # 9 is the third county-owned building deemed uninhabitable within the last year. 

The Bronson lease agreement is $16,000 annually, including utilities, and maintenance of the leased premises, including the generator that serves the Station House. 

Why does Levy Property Appraiser Jason Whistler’s Website Lack Basic Info for Government Properties?

While researching the true age of the mobile home on the property appraiser’s website, I noticed there were no valuations, descriptions, layouts, or anything, except land values for the Bronson Fire Station, Rescue Station # 9, Jail, and Emergency Operations Center.

Government entities do not pay taxes but basic information for valuation purposes should be part of the property appraiser public information.

Director Harrell Violates Public Trust & DPS Performance Standards?

• Has the BoCC or County Manager Mary Ellen Harper disciplined Director Harrell for his incompetence and dereliction of duty to the taxpayer for not updating the 2014 fee schedule?  
• Will the BoCC or Harper request an official forensic accounting of the money lost from not billing Medicare and Medicare with updated fees?  That has got to be massive.  The county writes off over 1 million dollars annually, resulting in  Medicare and Medicaid underbilling a travesty.
• Why were 4 county ambulances and 2 brush trucks sent to a brush fire in Morriston Christmas week?  The county responded to the scene with four of its nine ambulances to one small brush fire.  Why didn’t Foresty or the City of Williston respond to the fire instead of four county ambulances?  The county has an interlocal agreement with Williston Fire Rescue that is paid to Williston quarterly. Why was almost half the fleet of county ambulances at a fire? Director Harrell could or would not answer that question in Tuesday’s BoCC meeting. If one of the four ambulances were called suddenly called out, would the EMTs reek of smoke while treating a patient and have to pack their bunker gear before responding?
• Why is a public meeting notice announcing a Levy County fire administration Public Meeting for January 16, at the Public Safety Complex (old women’s prison complex), 1251 NE County Road 343, Bronson?  The DPS complex is in the middle of nowhere on CR 343 in Bronson.  Why no detailed agenda and why not in the regular meeting room in the Bronson government complex building?

There are rumors of Harrell meeting with other outside county fire rescue agencies to make Levy into a public union monopoly that threatens Levy’s independence and the quality of care.

Will our BoCC start working for the citizens by at least entertaining bidding for private ambulance services?  Perhaps it is time to return to firefighting with the local municipalities and volunteers instead of a monopoly with a union bargaining unit that Harrell seems to be heading.

President Ronald Reagan famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

PDF of Town of Bronson Lease Agreement with BoCC Jan 7, 2025 Meeting