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Century Council Members Receive Fines In Sunshine Law Violation Case
January 25, 2019
Two Century Town Council members charged with civil violations of the Sunshine Law entered pleas before a judge Thursday, while a court date was postponed for a third council member.
Council member Sandra McMurray Jackson entered a plea of no contest and was fined $200. Council president Ann Brooks also pleaded no contest and was fined $100. Adjudication was withheld in both cases.
Brooks received a lower fine because “she was left culpable because she was at the meeting legally before Mr. Gomez and Mrs. Jackson arrived,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said. “While she should have left immediately, she did not participate in the meeting to the extent that Mr. Gomez and Mrs. Jackson did.”
Councilman Luis Gomez, Jr. did not appear in court Thursday due to health reasons, and his hearing date was reset for late February.
The three council members “did unlawfully engage in a discussion or exchange of information with other members of the Century Town Council regarding a matter which foreseeably could come before said board or commission for action, outside of a public meeting, in violation of … Florida statues,” according to the charging documents.
Last summer, three council members attended at least some portion of a closed-door meeting with CPA Robert Hudson, Town Clerk Kim Godwin and the town’s auditors. The meeting was not advertised as a public meeting, which would forbid more than one council member from taking part under Florida’s Sunshine Laws.
The maximum allowable fine was $500 for each council member.
In the coming weeks, a grand jury will investigate “a number of issues” related to the operation of the town. Under Florida law, the nature of that investigation is will not be released until it is completed.
Pictured top: Century Council members (L-R) Luis Gomez, Jr., Ann Cofield Brooks and Sandra McMurray Jackson at a December 17, 2018, meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “Century Council Members Receive Fines In Sunshine Law Violation Case”
Yes
When is century boi g to get it together get someone to get this over with period century is a good place just the people who supposedly running things
So, if you’re waiting for the State Attorneys Office to “close” Century, don’t hold your breath. Just good ol boy politics. God Bless the citizens of Century is more like it.
Another normal day in Century.
>>I’m pretty sure I remember members of Century City Council having been fined and “sentenced”
Not in the past 11 years. A citizen task force was cited in 2016, but prosecution was deferred. The State Attorney did recommend training.
I’m pretty sure I remember members of Century City Council having been fined and “sentenced” (for want of a better word,) to classes on the Florida State Sunshine Laws just a few years back!
Anne,
They have to pay themselves. I still can’t see where Mrs. Brooks was fined, when she was supposed to be there by invitation, the others were not.
top to bottom, the only people involved in this mess i trust would be mr gomez and ms brooks. the mayor ain’t got a clue.
$200 and $100 in fines, where does the money to pay that come from?
Recalling an Escambia County Commissioner who petitioned the Board of County Commissioners to pay his legal fees although the case pending had nothing to do with official Board business.
Waiting for the other shoe, or shoes, to drop on the investigation of City of Century.
Gotta be something that smells like Limburger Cheese there.
This is a Beautiful day, a bit chilly but Amazing.
You can’t fix stupid.
I’m sure Century will lend them the money to pay their fines.
They could have each met separately with the accountant if they wanted to learn more. The other two should not have entered into a private meeting.
Who in their infinite wisdom would alert them and tell them to show up and barge in? People just do not understand government and that is just another part of dysfunction.
The fact that they would need to meet privately one on one is suspect with out media but who would blame them. Trying to find out why the things were spent out of funds in a mess.
Where and how far back does all the poor leadership go.
Bless Ann Brooks.
maybe the town needs to fire everyone on the council and start all over again .Just maybe then we will know where our money is . Also all the trucks the city workers drive home maybe they need to leave them at the city yard and that would save gas on the town . Stop loaning out the town’s money put it toward the town !