Commissioners clash over delayed St. Hebron Park as public presses for answers

Fabrizio Gowdy Gadsden County News Service

Stagnant development of new parks once again headlined the Gadsden County Board of Commissioners Meeting Tuesday.

Public comment featured speakers urging the board to ban products made with the opioid-like herb kratom, touting new successes for the Friends of Gadsden County Animals organization, and questioning commissioners on the status of the efforts to construct a new $4 million Boys and Girls Club.

Three separate speakers then pressed commissioners for answers on when a promised new park would be completed in the St. Hebron community. The subject caused some tension between board chair Eric Hinson and Commissioner Ronterious Green. Green wanted to bring the Parks Director forward to speak on the issue and address speakers’ questions, but Hinson insisted they wait to hear from the County Administrator, who was not present Tuesday.

Green also accused Hinson of making “accusations” that might not be true when he claimed that an unnamed commissioner had previously taken away resources from unfinished parks. Commissioner Alonzetta Simpkins also seemed to take issue with that claim, speaking for several impassioned minutes about how many communities around the county have subpar parks or lack one altogether.

“I don’t say let me pull from your area to get mine done,” said Simpkins. “We need to work together, stop fighting, stop pretending, stop putting a front up, because we represent all the citizens of Gadsden County.”

After public comment, the meeting then moved into general business, which saw commissioners unanimously approve each item. That included spending funds from an opioid settlement on opioid prevention, funding Toys for Tots, and approving several contracts and agreements. The board tabled a measure to re-appoint members to the five-member Gadsden County Industrial Development Authority because they had not re-applied for their certification.

Commissioners also acknowledged the looming budget deadline of October 1. Commissioner Brenda Holt said this year’s budget is the tightest she has seen in her thirty years of participating in county government. Board members made a point of stating the budget shortfall was not a result of their mismanagement—citing their clean audit—but rather state and federal changes.

“Oftentime people think when we’re in a deficit or a shortfall, it’s because of mismanagement—that is not the case with this board. This board has not mismanaged funds, we are not broke,” said Commissioner Green.

Commissioner Shawn Wood also brought up the topic of alcoholic beverage sales near churches, which will be considered by the County Planning Commission at its next meeting on August 14; Wood cautioned against loosening restrictions on alcohol sales, but county attorney Louis J. Baptiste Esq. advised that the issue must first be considered by the Planning Commission before the board can act.

The next County Commission meeting is August 19 at 6 p.m in the Edward J. Butler Governmental Complex in Quincy.

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Commissioners clash over delayed St. Hebron Park as public presses for answers

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Havana’s WoodFest and Car Show to showcase local creativity

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