Gray Rohrer
Officials sitting on city, county and special district boards throughout Florida will now be required to disclose more of their finances to the public, after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to make local officials file the same forms as state legislators and Cabinet officers.
Starting Jan. 1, local officials will be required to file a form with the state showing their entire net worth, including income sources, assets, property and business ownership and debts. Currently local officials are only required to disclose the sources of their income and business interests, but not specific dollar amounts.
The legislation (SB 774) passed the House on a 113-2 vote, with only Reps. Christine Hunschofsky, a Parkland Democrat, and Mike Gottlieb, a Davie Democrat, voting against it.
The measure passed the Senate on a 35-5 vote, with only five Democrats — Sens. Lori Berman of Lantana, Tina Polsky of Boca Raton, Bobby Powell of West Palm Beach, Geraldine Thompson of Windermere and Victor Torres of Kissimmee — voting against it.
Some opponents of the bill were concerned the increased disclosure requirements would push potential candidates away from signing up to run for local offices.
An earlier version of the House bill (HB 37) would have applied to County and City Managers as well, but some lawmakers pushed back on that provision because they are unelected.
Other parts of the bill increase the maximum fine the Florida Commission on Ethics can issue from $10,000 to $20,000 and allow that board to dismiss complaints arising from random audits of lobbying firms.
The Legislature also passed HB 199 during the Regular Session, which imposes increased ethics training requirements on elected special district officials starting in 2024, which stemmed from reports of Rod Colon, manager of the North Springs Improvement District in Broward approving $16 million contracts for a company he owned. That bill, however, hasn’t been officially sent to DeSantis’ desk.
The expanded financial disclosure bill was one of 37 DeSantis signed on Thursday. So far, DeSantis has signed 70 of the 320 bills passed by the Legislature during the Regular Session that ended last week.
10 comments
Elliott Offen
May 11, 2023 at 7:37 pm
Pissing off everyone. These hogs tear each other’s eyeballs out. Give themselves hell on a national, state, and local level. This is why the GOP will continue to swirl the toilet and lose national elections.
Earl Pitts American
May 12, 2023 at 7:07 am
Good morning America,
Dook 4 brains lefties saw this as a way to crash our economey even faster.
However America’s Govornor just blazed the trail so even dook 4 brains RINO govornors can save their own states.
Thank you America’s Govornor and Florida just stuck its middle finger in the eye of dook 4 brains lefties “World Effin Wide”.
Thank you America and up yours dook 4 brains lefties world wide
Earl Pitts “You Wish You Were Me” Proud American
Elliott Offen
May 12, 2023 at 8:15 am
👆 Report this vulgar and obscene troll.. this crude and unintelligent whacko..to Florida politics.. for vandalizing the website with nonsense.
Anthony Berry
May 17, 2023 at 4:08 pm
Said a box of rocks.
Tom Palmer
May 12, 2023 at 8:31 am
I know from experience that having to disclose one’s personal finances in that much detail is a non-starter for some local candidates.The only thing that matters is guarding against conflicts of interest and self-dealing.
Xanthippe26
May 12, 2023 at 9:55 am
So, he demands disclosure of others, while signing laws that prevent him from having to disclose….
Tjb
May 12, 2023 at 5:40 pm
Two faced DeSantis. He is a disgrace to mankind and Christianity.
Michael K
May 13, 2023 at 8:59 pm
He’s neither. He’s an unstable self-absorbed opportunist chasing windmills obsessed with controlling people’s private parts and private lives.
Dont Say FLA
May 15, 2023 at 1:35 pm
That, plus employment law is critically important! Until Government Worker Ron DeSanties is in violation of Florida’s employment law “Resign to Run” personally, at which time he has Florida’s employment law changed to “”Resign to Run Except Ron”
What about Rhonda's travel expenses
May 15, 2023 at 2:11 pm
Changes to Florida’ Resign to Run law also “exempt all of DeSantis’s past and future travel from disclosure under Florida’s public records law.” Real news on Rhonda is over on The Guardian UK. Not here.
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