- November 17, 2024
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Flagler County will ask the state to assign an observer to oversee the county’s upcoming elections in light of concerns about the conduct of Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks, who is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The Board of County Commissioners at its regular Oct. 20 meeting unanimously supported County Administrator Craig Coffey’s suggestion to have County Attorney Al Hadeed — who in a Friday Canvassing Board meeting survived Weeks’ attempt to replace him as the Canvassing Board attorney — make the request to the state.
“There are still unresolved issues, I know, with Palm Coast; I don’t think they’ve been mitigated,” Coffey said. “I think that outside observation might be prudent in this case.”
Hadeed had drafted a protocol for how Palm Coast and Weeks, who have wrangled over parking issues at the city’s Community Center, would conduct the upcoming election at the facility. Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon said in an Oct. 21 City Council meeting that the city will follow the protocol, even though Weeks had rejected it.
“We agreed to those,” he said. “This is not her facility; it’s a city facility managed by city staff.”
The County Commission also nominated Commissioner Barbara Revels to take the position of Canvassing Board alternate and County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen, who said he would vacate the Canvassing Board alternate position in response to a complaint by Weeks that a $50 donation he made in July to Commissioner Frank Meeker’s re-election campaign could be seen as a conflict of interest.
“If what I did gives even the appearance of impropriety, then in the abundance of caution, I would step aside,” Ericksen said when Commission Chairman George Hanns raised the issue at the County Commission meeting.
Ericksen said he will continue to attend the Canvassing Board meetings as a member of the public.
