Comment

Comment by J.R. on May 3, 2011 at 4:29pm

Debbie, I wasn't just responding to what you wrote and what was on that one police report.  I was providing information that would be useful to any members of FCTP who are residents/citizens of Duval County and might want to look into this further and file ethics complaints of their own.  Any citizen can access the public records to do their research and any citizen can file an ethics complaint if they find sufficient cause to do so.  I posted it here because the on-going dialogue was here. Same reason for my other posts providing related information and links to resources. 

What you choose to do is, of course, only up to you.  But, many of us were offended by the way you were treated by those political thugs and realize that it's something that could have happened to any of us if we had been out somewhere campaigning for the candidate(s) of our choice.  I personally believe in standing up for the rights of all of us and that problems like this concern the greater community.  We are all voters and we all have a right to expect fair elections and to be able to freely participate in the entire process without obstruction and maltreatment.

Comment by Kerry Kelley on May 3, 2011 at 2:59pm

When did Hemmerly get on the PC and when did he get the Flagler job?

Comment by J.R. on May 3, 2011 at 2:51pm

Debbie, to show conflict of interest re Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC, you would have to be able to get the public records showing what city contracts, if any, were awarded to that company, when they were awarded, and who voted to approve them, and if there were anything in them that would suggest a conflict of interest. 

Another concern would be about insider information about where new land development would be occuring, what jobs were going to be opened for new contract bids, what bids were already submitted and the dollar amounts of those bids, and whether and when Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC, of which Tony Hemmerly is Territory Manger, had ever submitted a bid and been awarded a contract for work for the City of Jacksonville.

If Mr. Hemmerly already had knowledge that the company he works for had been contracted to do work for the City of Jacksonville prior to his appointment to the Jacksonville Planning Commission, or that development would be occurring in the future that his company would be interested in submitting bids for, that would seem to me to be a conflict of interest.

All of the records about development, bids and contracts are public records and must be made available upon request by citizens who foot the bill for that development, which also includes the purchase of property to be developed and paying for all the approved contracts. 

Comment by Debbie G on May 3, 2011 at 2:23pm

@JR

I wasn't correlating Hemmerly's position on the commission with his actions, merely pointing out that those on the commission have quite a bit of authority with regards to city planning decisions. Likewise, his "civilian" occupation is in a field that may or may not benefit from city contracts; just a question that arose when looking at the functions of the commission and at the services Flagler Construction provides.

His actions; however, do, in fact, violate ethics as well as criminal statutes in the municipal codes, but that is for the individual who filed the original police report to take up.

Comment by J.R. on May 3, 2011 at 1:53pm

Debbie, Tony Hemmerly removed campaign signs that were the property of Matt Schellenberg, who is the opposing candidate for Jacksonville City Council against Hemmerly's good friend and political ally, Jack Webb, current President of the Jacksonville City Council. The signs did not belong to Mr. Hemmerly, he did not have Matt Schellenberg's permission to remove the signs and dump them, and he did so on private property. It has nothing to do with his authority or functions of his job as an appointed member of the Jacksonville Planning Commission. It does have to do with his dishonest and unethical behavior, while serving as a member of the Jacksonville Planning Commission, and is possibly criminal behavior, depending upon whether or not he is charged with, and convicted of one or more criminal offenses.

Neither is it part of Mr. Hemmerly's personal job description to remove signs that are on city property... or on private property where the installation of those signs has been authorized or approved. He had no authority, as a function of his appointed job on the Jacksonville Planning Commission, to remove any signs but his own... or signs belonging to a candidate for public office, for whose campaign he is working, and that candidate has given him authority to remove the signs.

Hemmerly doesn't get to appoint himself to additional duties that are not a part of his official job description. And, there is nothing honest or ethical about taking and dumping property that does not belong to him. In my opinion, it constitutes theft and unauthorized dumping on private property.

And, if he was one of the men who accosted, harassed, intimidated, and bullied you while you were campaigning for Matt Schellenberg, he should be held responsible for those offenses, also. I'm not an attorney, but it may be possible to hold him legally responsible for that, as well... both criminally and civilly.

Comment by Diane Powers on May 3, 2011 at 1:48pm

What a horrible example you Webb "people" set for our young adults and youth.  Shame on you many times over. Tony, you deserve to lose your job and be set as an example of what not to do in life!

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on May 3, 2011 at 1:27pm

And PS Debbie, have you thought about turning this mess over to the ethics commission.  I would say there is certainly some question about a conflict of interest.  They might want to take a look at how much work went to the company this fellow works for, wouldn't you say?

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on May 3, 2011 at 1:25pm

Debbie G., I think it will be a real tell if the TU doesn't report this or slants it in favor of Webb by trying to let him off the hook.  This man would not have done this just cause he loves Jack.  Webb had to have asked for help or voiced concern about the guy running against him I would think.  There is more to this than just this guy dreaming this up all on his own and doing it not once but twice!

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on May 3, 2011 at 1:22pm

Russell, yes Webb is the TU pick.  The TU also has a conflict since they are financially heavily invested in the downtown and want only people who will continue to waste money on project after project in the downtown.  If anyone had any common sense (which Hogan does), they would get private parties to invest in the downtown, but at this point, why would they when they city bankrolls everything and takes all loses on the taxpayer's backs.  Anyone would love a deal like that because there is no risk to them.  Anyone who invests their own money is going to be doubly sure they don't invest in something that is going to go bottoms up (gee what a novel approach to investment).

 

Comment by Kerry Kelley on May 3, 2011 at 1:09pm

hope we can get his mug shot for facebook.........

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