- November 1, 2024
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The Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association took a vote of “no confidence” in Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey on Dec. 14, and the Flagler County Educators Association followed with a similar vote on Dec. 15. Both issued statements demanding Coffey’s firing.
Coffey has sustained criticism from local law enforcement officers and from Sheriff Rick Staly over the county administration’s handling of the Sheriff’s Operations Center, which has been evacuated since June over concerns that it could be a sick building: More than two dozen Sheriff’s Office employees have reported symptoms they believe are related to the building. The building, formerly a hospital, was purchased by the county in 2013, renovated, and reopened as the Operations Center in 2015.
The County Commission, citing the Operations Center issue and several other matters, will vote on whether or not to fire Coffey during a commission meeting Jan. 14.
The local branch of the law enforcement union took the vote during a meeting for its contract vote, Coastal Florida PBA Secretary Treasurer Joseph Barile said.
The PBA also issued a letter announcing the vote, signed by Barile and Coastal Florida PBA Senior Vice President Jon Dopp on Dec. 14, to Flagler County Commission Chairman Donald O’Brien and the rest of the County Commission.
“[Coffey’s] handling of the health concerns of the Sheriff’s Office operations center along with his blatant disregard for the safety of our members has led us to have serious concerns regarding his ability to safely resolve this serious situation,” the letter states. “During the commission meeting on December 3, 2018, comments that Mr. Coffey made while speaking about the sick employees was brought to light and greatly concerned us. Chairman O’Brien said during this meeting, ‘I can remember some very specific conversations between him (referring to Mr. Coffey) and I where, I mean basically what came across to me was those employees were faking it.’”
Coffey’s decisions regarding the Operations Center has led the local PBA to question his leadership abilities, the letter continues.
“That a County Administrator, a ‘leader,’ would imply that not one but over 30 employees are lying about their physical symptoms, is appalling,” the letter states. “We have no faith in him to put the best interest of the Sheriff’s Office, its employees, and the citizens of Flagler County first and believe that he is too preoccupied with his own personal agenda to be an effective leader of this county.”
The letter states that a delegation from the Coastal Florida PBA will attend the Jan. 14 meeting “and demand the firing of Mr. Coffey.”
The Flagler County Educators Association issued a letter Dec. 17 concerning its own vote of no confidence regarding Coffey.
The letter, signed by FCEA President Katie Hansen, states, “Mr. Coffey has a blatant disregard for the health and well-being of the very public employees who are responsible for protecting and serving this community. As a small community, many of our members’ significant others, family members, and friends proudly serve our community as first responders. Their health and well-being is important to us and to our county. For Mr. Coffey to further insinuate that these employees are simply faking sickness is inexcusable. As fellow public employees, this is the ultimate in disrespect.”
The FCEA, like the Coastal Florida PBA, demanded his firing.
“Flagler County residents deserve better from our county leaders, and the hard-working men and women of the FCSO deserve the respect and support of elected officials and the administrators they appoint,” the FCEA letter states.
