County Clerk Pam Childers has sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioner notifying that she doesn’t accept the assertions made by the Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm regarding the legality of the county’s 401(a) ICMA retirement plan.
The clerk told the board she would discontinue making contributions to the plan on behalf of Commissioners Steve Barry, Robert Bender and Lumon May, effective Jan. 2, 2022.
The letter came directly from Childers, not her attorney, Matt Dannheisser, who has been negotiating with Troy Rafferty.
She has offered yet another interpretation of the Florida law. The amount the County contributes to the commissioners’ retirement is the same whether it’s made to the Florida Retirement System or ICMA plan.
Childers argues the county’s contribution isn’t the issue. She believes it’s the commissioners’ retirement benefits.
She has refused to join the commissioners in asking for an opinion from the Florida Attorney General.
It would appear the clerk and commissioners are headed to court to resolve this matter.
Read Letter to Chairman Bergosh 12.03.21
What is the county attorney and the board going to do about Underhill continuing to issue public statements that Rogers and Barry need to pay for their criminal defense regarding this issue. Of course that allegation is absurd. Underhand was publicly Censured for the exact same thing yet still repeats the same behavior. He posted it today 12/4/2021 on Escambia Citizens Watch under Jacqueline Roger’s post of Childer’s letter even further under a comment from one of your people from the loser list –Alex Arduini. What does a board do after they censure a member and he continues the same behavior? You can get the screen shot and ask them. Personally if they go to court I hope they get a good judge who understands home rule. Childers is not qualified to be the judge of this matter and it is weird she isn’t having her attorney issue statements. As a citizen I know it is appropriate for an official to go to the ethics committee for an opinion. I also know the board should correct their own rogue member after a Censure and he repeats the same behavior. Underhill saw this from the ethics committee opinion and has been fanning the flames all year. Of course we know he is just trying to build up his fragile bruised ego as usual but it is harmful to the county.