CRC 2020: Call From Sheriff Hunter? Bowden Tells the County 5, "I don't carry nobody('s) water."
Posted February 21, 2020 10:17 am
Columbia County Observer Graphic & Photo
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
As last night's
meeting of the
County 5 (County
Commission)
wound down,
Charter Review
Commission (CRC)
member, Glenel
Bowden,
addressed The 5
and announced he
had received a
call from one of
the County's
Constitutional
Officers, who,
among other
things,
questioned his
integrity.
Constitutional Officers
Columbia County has 5 elected constitutional officers: Clerk of the Court DeWitt Cason, Property Appraiser Jeff Hampton, Sheriff Mark Hunter, Supervisor of Elections Liz Horne, and Tax Collector Ronnie Brannon.
Only Sheriff Mark Hunter is connected with the Jail. He runs it for the County.
Finance Committee
The Finance subcommittee is one of the 5 original subcommittees established by CRC Chairman Robert "Rambo" Lane to do a top-down review of the County government, something which the County Charter does not authorize the CRC to do.
The Finance subcommittee is chaired by Stephen Douglas, a veteran Columbia County good ole' boy.
Finance subcommittee agenda
click to enlarge
What the Finance subcommittee has planned for its meetings is anybody's guess. A look at the February 18 agenda, prepared by Mr. Douglas, leaves everything to the imagination.
The local mainstream print media has not been reporting on nor attending CRC subcommittee meetings. It was difficult to tell from reading its article, "Fireworks foreseen over jail proposal," that its reporter was even there.
With its established track record of not attending subcommittee meetings, it appears that the paper was advised that the jail topic was on its agenda.
According to the paper, Glenel Bowden brought up the jail topic: "Given the political atmosphere over the years, and given the amount of the budget that goes toward the detention center, I think it would make sense for the voters to have the opportunity to speak to whether or not the sheriff should be responsible for the operation of the jail."
CRC's Bowden Speaks
Mr.
Bowden addressed the County 5, advising them
that he is on the Charter Review Commission and
that he serves on the Finance subcommittee.
He said, "Less than two hours after that meetin' was over I get a call from a certain constitutional officer questioning me about my position on that issue... This person want to suggest that I'm carryin' the water for members on this board - even suggestin' that perhaps that I talked to somebody."
He said he didn't speak to any of them, "Not one time."
Mr. Bowden continued, "Anybody who know about me. I'm an independent person. Nobody can tell me what to do."
Mr. Bowden explained that the only information he received from the County was through an exchange of emails with County Manager Ben Scott.
Mr. Bowden concluded, "I want to go on record - so if you all hear at your coffee shop meetins' or where ever you gather and talk about Glenel Bowden is carryin' someobody water - It's not true. I resent anybody in this community that suggests that I'm gonna' do the biddin' of anybody on this board or anybody else."
Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter.
(file photo)
After the meeting your reporter asked Mr. Bowden which constitutional called him on the phone.
Mr. Bowden answered, "A constitutional officer."
Your reporter followed up, "Yes, but which one."
Mr. Bowden smiled and said, "I'm not tellin' you – you'll write it."
Epilogue
The only constitutional officer that has anything to do with the jail is Sheriff Mark Hunter.
As usual, he was MIA and did not attend the meeting.
