Quincy commissioner accuses former city manager
and former commissioner of using fraudulent letter to get grant

In an interview with the Gadsden County News Corp., Quincy City Commissioner Ronte Harris said a fraudulent letter written by former city manager Jack McLean helped former Quincy and Gadsden County Sherrie Taylor take money from Gadsden Senior Services.

The letter pledged a partnership between Taylor’s organization, Gadsden Wellness OurFuture and the City of Quincy.

Harris said the letter was misleading and fraudulent.

The commissioner said the city did not provide Taylor’s organization with any services or resources.

“That was yet another McLean and Sherrie backdoor deal,” Harris said. “It speaks directly to both their integrity.”

Harris accused McLean of ‘blatantly’ lying in the letter; Ronte said he and the other commissioners were unaware of a partnership between the city and Taylor’s organization.

The letter states the city hosts many programs for seniors, children, and adults.

“Quincy currently does not have many recreation programs for seniors or adults,” Harris said. “The city is not happy to partner with any organization that lacks integrity like Gadsden Wellness.”

McLean’s letter of support also states: “The park includes an amphitheater, trails, picnic pavilions with tables, restrooms, a playground court, and paved and unpaved hiking/walking trail, and water access.”

Harris said the park does not have walking trails.

“That is a phase of Tanyard Creek Development that was never completed,” Harris said.

Both McLean and Taylor denied Harris’ allegations.

McLean said Taylor did reach out to him while he was city manager to partner with the city to allow senior citizens to use the city’s facilities.

He said he did write a letter of support saying the city would make the facilities available if Gadsden Wellness was awarded the grant, however the grant was not awarded to Taylor’s organization.

The letter says the value of the services the city would provide for Taylor’s organization was $15,000.

He also said he wasn’t aware of any other organization applying for the grant.

McLean said as the former city manager, many organizations have asked him to write letters of support when applying for grants, and he has done so.

“Anytime there is a partnership, we’re made aware,” Harris said. “There is a clear difference in a letter of support versus a letter that clearly spells out a partnership with a dollar amount attached for the purpose of obtaining grant funding.”

The commissioner said those are city resources that the city manager does not have the authority to give away without commission approval.

“Just because he’s done it before does not make it right,” Harris added.

McLean clarified that there was no money exchanged between the city and Taylor, and that the contribution was to be in-kind.

“I don’t understand why Ronte [Harris] is looking in the rearview,” said McLean. “What’s with his character assassination and defamation?”

“Talk to the citizens about that 122 percent raise; take that 122 percent raise and give it to senior citizens, not money from out of Washington,” McLean added.

Taylor said her grant application with the Area Agency on Aging was denied, so McLean’s letter had no impact on funding.

“I asked the city to allow seniors to use the pool once or twice a week if we were to receive the grant,” Taylor said. “We received neither because we didn’t get the grant.”

Taylor noted that she received letters of support from many agencies, not just the city.

Taylor said the grant she applied for was awarded to Gadsden Senior Services, but the organization lost it due to the inability to maintain staff.

The funding was redistributed to her organization months later.

“As for Mr. Harris, all allegations of the integrity of my organization and of myself, I will handle that legally,” Taylor said.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Quincy commissioner accuses former city managerand former commissioner of using fraudulent letter to get grant

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Quincy commissioner accuses former city manager
and former commissioner of using fraudulent letter to get grant