St. Augustine mayor calls for audit of city’s 450th commemoration contracts
By Alyana Gomez
WFOX-TV Jacksonville
Thursday, March 12, 2015
St. Augustine’s new mayor wants to dig deeper into the contracts awarded for the city’s 450th commemoration.
The meeting inside the Alcazar Room got heated when the mayor’s request audit became the topics of discussion.
“I’d like to ask for – and I think we discussed this before – for an audit of our contracts for compliance,” said Mayor Nancy Shaver at that meeting.
It was that request that briefly divided the commission and created tension in the room. The meeting was close to adjournment when Shaver asked for the audit, specifically looking at the contracts associated with the 450th Commemoration that the city of St. Augustine is celebrating soon.
“We’ve spent millions of dollars on the 450th. Are there other contracts where we need to tighten them up, where we need to make sure we’re getting what we paid for?” said Shaver.
The topic sparked a heated exchange.
“Well, some of us aren’t embarrassed, and to say that is unbelievable,” said Commissioner Leanna Freeman at the meeting.
The meeting was adjourned, and Freeman was the first one out.
The mayor explained her reasoning for the audit.
“I ran on transparency. I ran on opening the city books, opening everything about the city to citizens, and I don’t intend to back off that promise,” she said.
Action News spoke with Freeman on the phone about her reaction.
“The reaction was personal. It was upsetting,” Freeman said. “I know all the work that the staff has done and to be called an embarrassment, it was hurtful, but we have a job to do.”
Shaver said an audit will take time, but it won’t interfere with the festivities of the 450th commemoration.
Discover more from HISTORIC CITY NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.