
Chiefland city election
qualifying issue
generates more discussion
City ordinance destined for change
By Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 12, 2025 at 8:15 p.m.
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CHIEFLAND -- Due to a recent issue during the qualifying period for the Chiefland city election, it was determined that a discussion was needed concerning a part of the city ordinance for elections in Chiefland.
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This specifically deals with the language in the section that addresses canvassing board duties in that municipal election.
When Edward Barron failed to qualify properly within the published deadline, he initially contested the ruling that he failed to qualify to run. Later, he withdrew his objection; however, by the City Manager Laura Cain had called for an emergency meeting of the Chiefland Canvassing Board, which would have consisted of retired Levy County Judge Joseph E. Smith, Chiefland Fire Chief Dwayne King and Levy County Commissioner Tim Hodge.
City Manager Cain, who is the ex-officio city clerk and therefore is the supervisor of elections for this city, opened the discussion during the Monday night (Feb. 10) regular twice-monthly meeting of the Chiefland City Commission.
City Commissioner LaWanda Jones, who successfully qualified for re-election, would have contended against Barron if he had correctly completed requirements to run.
During the discussion, Commissioner Jones said she had spoken with the city attorney about this issue a couple of times.
Typically, the Chiefland Canvassing Board is used after absentee ballots come in and are signed, City Manager Cain said, when she sees what appears to be a discrepancy between the signature on file and the signature on the ballot.
On election night, Cain added, the Canvassing Board certifies the results.
Chiefland City Attorney Norm D. Fugate explained what the current ordinance spells out.
First, Chiefland City Attorney Fugate said, if there is no contested election, then there is no need to engage the Canvassing Board beyond certifying results on election night.
Even if they are engaged, then they would review only contested ballots.
During the overwhelming majority of city elections in Chiefland, Fugate said, there are never any issues like the one where Barron complained about.
Of the three duties of the Canvassing Board, Fugate said, there was a protest by Barron against Ex-Officio City Clerk Cain ruling that he failed to qualify for the election set to be held April 1.
Fugate said that if Barron had chosen to carry through with his appeal of Cain’s ruling him as failing to meet the requirements to qualify for the April 1 election, which he did choose against going forward with his complaint, then the Canvassing Board would have heard his appeal.
Then, the Canvassing Board would have delivered a ruling, Fugate said. If they ruled in his favor, or if they ruled against him, then whichever party – either or Barron or Jones – could have selected the option to ask for a ruling on the Canvassing Board’s judgment by filing a case in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Civil Court.
Commissioner Jones said she did not understand that Fugate said, because it is not specifically noted in the city ordinance.
Fugate said that since the ordinance does not show a time limit for a person to initiate the appeal of a ruling by the city clerk in regard to elections and when the canvassing board must deliver its ruling once the complaint is filed, there is room to clarify the ordinance and the process.
City Commissioner Robert Norman “Norm” Weaver said he did not understand how there was an issue for Barron to complain. Fugate told Weaver the requirements and the deadline that had to be met for Barron to run, and the man did not have a bank account established, and he did not complete the Form 1 financial statement before the deadline.
Fugate surmised that since Edward’s wife Teresa Barron had successfully qualified to seek election a number of times by filing in City Hall, and with the state changing that to now requiring some of the qualifying paperwork to be completed online with the Florda Commission on Ethics, Edward Barron did not allow enough time to complete that aspect of the process.
City Commissioner Jones learned from the city attorney that the city of Chiefland is like every other municipality in Florida in regard to it having to abide first by federal and then state law. The qualifying process is the first part of being allowed to seek election.
Jones had previously complained that qualifying fees were too high in Chiefland, and she had mentioned the idea of changing the structure of city government so that voters choose who will serve as mayor rather than the City Commission members voting among themselves who will be mayor and vice mayor.
Jones said she called other places, including Williston, and Jones claimed no other city uses a canvassing board to rule on issues like this.
Actually, City Attorney Fugate two decades ago drafted the very language in the Chiefland ordinance for the City of Williston due to an election issue back then.
Jones apparently had spoken only with Williston City Clerk Latricia Jones.
Fugate said that if a person failed to meet qualifying requirements in Williston, and Williston City Clerk Wright had ruled like Chiefland Ex-Officio City Clerk Cain had ruled, then the current city attorney for Williston would have advised the person that they could complain just as Barron did and a Williston Canvassing Board meeting would have been called.
Likewise, the same procedure for contesting that board’s ruling would apply in Williston just as it would have been applied in Chiefland – ultimately leading to a circuit court judge upholding or ruling against the local supervisor of elections’ decision.
Fugate, who also serves as the city attorney for Cedar Key, told Jones that the same language exists in Cedar Key, and the attorney for Yankeetown used the same language in that city’s ordinance.
Eventually, Vice Mayor Lewrissa Johns said she hopes this problem never happens again. This created an unpleasant situation for everyone involved, Johns said.
Johns said she prefers to revise the ordinance so that if ever the Chiefland Ex-Officio City Clerk, serving as Chiefland Elections Supervisor, makes a decision that a would-be candidate or candidate for City Commission wants to contest, that it go directly to the circuit court to decide rather than to have the Chiefland Canvassing Board rule on the issue.
Fugate wanted Jones and Johns to understand what they seek to change. If the city clerk decides in the future in a similar situation that the candidate qualified even though he or she failed to meet a deadline, then the other candidate or candidates who meet the deadline will have to file in circuit court rather than have a canvassing board meeting to rule on that issue, or they will just run in an election where one of the contenders failed to have to follow the same qualifying rules.
After more discussion Mayor Chris Jones weighed in on the matter.
He said he barely met the deadline for reelection. However, as Mayor Jones said, “The rules apply to everybody.”
The mayor, like the city attorney, said Barron had the right to appeal Cain’s decision. Moments earlier, Mayor Jones said if he were given a ticket for speeding, he could go to court and contest the ticket, even though he was speeding.
“I just don’t feel that his (Barron’s) appeal (to Cain’s decision) had any validity to it,” Mayor Jones said.
The mayor said that he believes the ordinance is good as it stands.
After some more discussion, rather than amending the ordinance to put in a time period for a person to contest the ruling of the Chiefland Ex-Officio Clerk in regard to whether a candidate qualifies for a city election, instead the Chiefland Canvassing Board will only rule on election results certification. If there is a problem related to candidates qualifying where one or more seeks to contest the Chiefland Municipal Supervisor of Elections’ ruling, then that type of objection will be heard by a circuit court judge.
Other City News
Sun Southern Leisure RV Resort received approval to place a park model in an area where a recreational vehicle would have been parked. The limit of park models did not increase.
The City Commission intimated that it would approve this practice in the future.
While Florida law requires RV residents to move their location after 180 days, there is little enforcement and recreational vehicles in Florida really are more like small mobile homes nowadays.
Another popular practice in the Tri-County Area is to build a pole barn and park an RV underneath it rather than put the RV in a resort. And Walmart continues allowing overnight RV camping in its parking lot in Chiefland.
To see the Jan. 5, 2023 story "Levy County to make history with multiple municipal elections on April 4," click HERE.
To see the Aug. 29, 2024 story "Councilwoman complains about qualifying fee to run for office," click HERE.
To see the Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, 2025 story "Emergency Chiefland Canvassing Board meeting previously set for Monday afternoon canceled; Safe Haven Baby Box coming to Chiefland," click HERE.
One dead, one wounded in Inglis shooting
Information Provided By LCSO
Published Feb. 7, 2025 at 5:15 p.m.
INGLIS -- Deputies with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Inglis yesterday evening (Thursday, Feb. 6) at approximately 8 p.m. to a report of a person shot.
Deputies found a child and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home.
The initial investigation determined two children were playing in a room. One child accessed an unsecured firearm and the gun accidently discharged.
The single round struck an adult female and the second child in the same room. ShandsCair airlifted both patients to a trauma center. There is no hospital or trauma center in Levy County.
The child died from the gunshot wound and the woman is listed in critical condition.
Detectives currently are investigating this incident to determine how this it occurred. The names of those involved in this incident are not being released at this time, as this investigation continues.
Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum asks the Inglis community to please lift this family in prayer as they have a long healing process ahead of them.
3-1 vote approves equipment loan
Odie Carter of the Dixie County Solid Waste Department speaks to the County Commission about matters related to solid waste disposal in Dixie County. Construction and debris material from the hurricane aftermath is no longer being accepted at any roll-off sites or other places except at the main location for solid waste transfer in Dixie County.
Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 7, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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CROSS CITY – Dixie County Assistant County Manager Roy Bass found one item on the County Manager’s Report of Feb. 4 to be a sticker.
County Manager John Jenkins was absent from the regular twice-monthly meeting that Thursday morning, and Assistant County Manager Bass performed his duty well in the absence of Jenkins.
Jenkins, with Bass as his spokesman that day, requested the County Commission’s approval to seek a loan from a financial institution with the best interest rate for the purchase of a Knuckleboom Loader for $298,005 and a Packer Truck for $369,160.50 for the Solid Waste Department in the total amount of $667,165.50.
County Commission Chairman Jody Stephenson vehemently opposed taking a loan out to pay for new equipment. He spoke at length with suggestions for other methods for the Solid Waste Department to deal with the needed equipment.
A motion by County Commissioner Jamie Storey, seconded by Commissioner Daniel Wood III, however, received a 3-1 vote of approval with Commissioner David Osteen going with the Storey-Wood motion.
Even with input from the Road Department, County Finance and the Solid Waste Department, Chairman Stephenson felt his choice to vote to use money already in county coffers for the purchase.
While this was not the most shocking news related to solid waste in Dixie County, it certainly enjoyed a very thorough round of discussion, Vice Chairman Mark Hatch was absent from the meeting.
Before this point, Assistant County Manager Bass told the County Commission about a debris hauler who dumped construction and demolition material next to the roadways in the county after picking it up from Horseshoe Beach.
The man reportedly told Bass that he thought the Florida Department of Transportation was still collecting hurricane debris. Bass helped the man understand the truth and the man picked up what he put down and took it to a proper disposal location.
Construction and debris material from the hurricane aftermath is no longer being accepted at any roll-off or sites other than the main location for solid waste transfer in Dixie County.
Assistant County Manager Bass shared with the County Commission that the main solid waste transfer station in Dixie County is in dire need of significant repairs.
Meanwhile, the County Commission approved by 4-0 votes the following requests from Bass on Thursday.
● Order four, 54-inch diameter by 50-foot-long culverts for Dixie County Road 358 (Old U.S. Highway 19) based on Storm Water Task Force (SWTF) recommendation.
● Reallocate federal ARPA funds from the canal maintenance spraying to the Clerk Kofile fund in the amount of $5,000 based on SWTF recommendation.
● Change the method of treatment from spraying to water dye for the canal for management control of the vegetation based on SWTF recommendation.
● Establish a CRS (Community Rating System) program to be in Dixie County based on SWTF recommendation.
● Extend the Sheriff’s Evidence Building Time for completion from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
● Give SHIP down payment assistance for Jeffery Bass II (no relation to Roy Bass) in the amount of $20,000.
● Give SHIP down payment assistance to Vincent Calli in the amount of $25,000.
● Give repair reimbursement for Shirley Davis in the amount of $12,400.
● Give repair reimbursement for Nateshia Chapman in the amount of $14,500.
● Allow Another Way to hold a candlelight vigil on April 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Dixie County Courthouse steps.
● Agree to meet with the Horseshoe Beach Town Council at Town Hall on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
● Allow County Manager John Jenkins to negotiate the price of the lease for the cell tower at Waldo Park.
● Revise the Annual Certified Budget for Arthropod Control (mosquito spraying).
● Approve the D0304 Northeast 241st Street Widening Engineering Design Grant Agreement in the amount of $300,000.
● Approve the Locklear TWO for the D0304 Northeast 241st Street Widening Engineering Design Grant Agreement in the amount of $285,000.
● Approve the Liberty Partners TWO for the administration of the D0304 Northeast 241st Street Widening Engineering Design Grant Agreement in the amount of $15,000.
Levy County rights-of-way
to be cleared of signs
Levy County Chair Desiree Mills is seen moments after explaining some rules for addressing the County Commission during the Feb. 4 meeting.
Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 6, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.
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Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
BRONSON – Except for one woman who said she was a Realtor but that she was not speaking in that capacity at the Feb. 4 regular meeting of the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, most of the people stayed within the bounds set for addressing the County Commission. Levy County Commission Chair Desiree Mills had said that when addressing the County Commission, speak to the chair. There were some other guidelines, but nothing as clear as given by the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners for its meetings.
“When you come up to the podium,” Mills said, “you will need to say your name, your complete address, and you have three minutes to speak. You will address the Board (of County Commissioners) and not staff (members), nor any person that has come to give a presentation.”
She said commissioners will speak as addressed by the chair, and people will not speak over each other, or each person will allow the person speaking to compete a statement before jumping in with rebuttal or some other rude manner of interruption.
In any event, an exceedingly long discussion, including some back and forth between one speaker and a few commissioners, where she went far beyond her three-minute limit, resulted in the County Commission instructing the Code Enforcement Department to return to its initiative of enforcing the codes related to signage in Levy County.
Levy County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper begins speaking with the County Commission about the land development regulations related to signs in the county. Apparently, the county government ignored enforcement of this and other land development codes over the past several decades.
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Levy County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper tells the County Commission about the comprehensive plan for growth management and development in Levy County, and how the sign ordinance is part of the land development regulations. To see and hear the video, click on the PHOTO.
This return to enforcing the law, though, has a caveat. The only signs to be removed are the ones that present a safety hazard, or are located in the medians or county rights-of-way, or the signs where a person fills out a code enforcement complaint form.
Signs on private property, no matter how out of line they are with the local land development codes, are to remain posted without an attempt by the county government to bring them into compliance with the code.
Levy County Code Enforcement Officer Dave Banton speaks with the County Commission to have a clear understanding to what level the elected leaders want a set of codes enforced nowadays in Levy County.
County Commissioner Tim Hodge listens to a Realtor complain about needing to post signs that are not in compliance with the county codes related to signage in Levy County.
County Commissioner Johnny Hiers assures there will be a workshop with Realtors about signs in the county that show where property is for sale. Hiers also helped establish the idea of having a method to return signs to owners once they are removed from where they had been unlawfully placed.
Even as late as Feb. 6, some people still have signs up for politicians in an election decided in November of 2024. There are signs like this in rights-of-way in Levy County.
As promised on Feb. 4, Levy County Manager Harper sent out a press release on Feb. 6 to show the public exact information about what is going to happen.
Levy County Code Enforcement will focus its pro-active sign enforcement efforts on those signs that constitute a traffic hazard or are a detriment to traffic safety, and section private signs in public rights-of-way, Harper said.
Starting on March 1, Levy Code Enforcement will begin actively removing all signs in these two categories. While Levy County has the prerogative to determine proactive enforcement efforts,
the Code Enforcement Department is required to investigate all complaints that are filed with the office and to enforce the Code accordingly, Harper said.
This includes all seven of the categories of prohibited signs, Harper said.
All signs removed by Code Enforcement will be brought to the Levy County Road Department, 660 N. Hathaway Ave. (U.S. Alt. 27) in Bronson. Signs may be picked up Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. All signs brought to the Road Department will be disposed of on the first of every month, Harper said.
Levy County must update its Comprehensive in 2026. Levy County’s Comprehensive Plan is a long-range planning document that outlines the county’s vision, goals, objectives, policies, and
strategies for its future development, growth, and preservation.
Levy County’s Land Development Code, which includes the ordinance that allows for the removal of unauthorized signs, provides the specific tools to implement those plans.
For additional questions about Code Enforcement, please contact Code Enforcement Officer Dave Banton at 352-486-5198 or Banton-Dave@LevyCounty.org.
Other News
People from the Building Department and Code Enforcement gave quarterly reports.
As part of those reports for the period of Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, commissioners learned there were 596 building permits issued. Also, during those three months of those permits, 85 were for new residents in Levy County.
Thirty-four of the new county residents were site built, and 51 were for mobile homes or manufactured homes to be placed in Levy County during those three months.
There were 33 code enforcement cases open in that three-month period. Of those, 13 were closed. Four cases went through the special magistrate for resolution.
The Code Enforcement Department completed 146 lien searches during that quarter.
There are three active code enforcement officers in Levy County, and there is one employee in the office.
This quarter was the first for quarterly initiatives. The sign ordinance was the one for this quarter.
Levy County Road Department Administrative Coordinator Alice LaLonde takes notes when a Bronson Town Council member speaks to the County Commission about roads she sees as being in need of repaving and where a sidewalk should be added in Bronson.
A woman (left in photo) whose husband is a United States military veteran with disabilities asks the County Commission for an exception to allow two recreational vehicles that are not in compliance with land development regulations to remain actively in use on the 40-acres of land for 60 more days. Commission Chair Desiree Mills read the letter from the woman during the public comments part of the meeting.
County Commission Charlie Kennedy volunteers to accept the appointment to represent the County Commission on the Juvenile Justice Circuit Advisory Board.
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180th Performance
This is (from left) Samantha Williams, Norma Ramos and Khristinia Haws of the Hilton Hotel in Ocala, Florida, as they sing the HardisonInk.com jingle on Sunday morning (Feb. 2). They sang the jingle just after one of the recipients of honors during the Annual Florida Press Club Excellence In Journalism Competition Awards Banquet was held the night before. This event was part of the celebration of the Florida Press Club's 75th anniversary celebration. Jeff M. Hardison asks people to sing the jingle, and some of them agree to sing it. (Thanks people!) CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO SEE AND HEAR THE VIDEO ON YouTube.com. The very first person to sing the jingle was in Chiefland in March of 2013. HardisonInk.com started as a daily news website on Feb. 1, 2011.
Photo and Video by Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 2, 2025 at 12 p.m.
All Rights Reserved Do Not Copy And Paste Anywhere
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