Columbia County Observer

North Florida Water Utility Authority:  $150,000 a year plus a $51,000 yearly pension payment (plus) too much for an executive director for two Authority board members

May 9, 2025  8:15 pm | 7 min read

By Stew Lilker

In a rush: read the 1 minute version here.

SUWANNEE COUNTY, FL – $150,000 a year plus a $51,000 yearly pension payment (plus) was too much for an executive director for two Authority board members.

The struggling North Florida Water Utilities Authority met on May 7, 2025, in Live Oak for its regularly scheduled meeting. Among other things, the Authority was trying to figure out how much to pay its chosen executive director, who has no prior experience running or operating a utility.

Suwannee Comissioner Franklin White didn't want to have to negotiate with Shannon Roberts, a Suwannee County employee. Commissioner Tim Murphy (Columbia) put the kibosh on that.

As reported in mid April, the Authority had finally chosen a candidate for executive director: Shannon Roberts, a Suwannee County Administrator. Even though a monkey wrench was thrown into the works, the choice was never in doubt.

Earlier, on April 2, the Authority met to interview its two and only candidates: North Florida Water Utilities Authority: NFWUA Finally Has Candidates for Executive Director, But Are They Qualified?

During that meeting, Suwannee County employee, candidate Roberts's responses to written questions were made available: "Do you possess a degree in public administration, engineering, environmental science, or a closely related field? Please list degree type (e.g., B.S., M.S.) and area (e.g., Environmental Science). Please list the degree type. Do you possess any related licenses issued by the State of Florida or another State?"

Mr. Roberts answered that he had a BA in Psychology from the University of North Florida. Mr. Roberts said he had no related licenses but could obtain them "given the proper time and financial support."

During the April 2 meeting, NFWUA Chairman Rocky Ford established a negotiating committee. NFWUA vice-chair Franklin White (Suwannee County) nominated Columbia County Commissioner Tim Murphy to “negotiate for the board.” Chairman Ford asked if Mr. Murphy “had a problem with that.” He didn’t.

Commissioner White didn’t think it was proper for Suwannee County to be negotiating with its own employee.

The negotiating session was scheduled for April 30. On Saturday, April 26, Mr. Murphy, without any authority to cancel anything, canceled the negotiating session.

The meeting cancelation notice didn’t make it to the NFWUA website until recently.

Mr. Murphy left the NFWUA board and the Suwannee County Commissioners in the position to negotiate directly every detail of the contract with Mr. Roberts at its May 7 meeting.

How much is an executive director without
utility operational experience worth?

May 7:
North Florida Utility Authority Negotiates – It wasn’t pretty

Tim Murphy's cancelation of the negotiating session would have enabled many of the sticking points to have been either worked out or well-researched before the general meeting. They weren't.

The question before the NFWUA board: How much is an executive director without utility operational experience worth?

Shannon Roberts takes notes in the audience. He had his own ideas of his value.

Suwannee County's Shannon Roberts had his own ideas. Mr. Roberts filed documents with the Authority representing his research on how much he should be paid. He found salaries ranging from almost $300,000 to a low of 52,000. Mr. Roberts wrote that the average public utility executive compensation was $266,772 a year.

NFWUA has no customers, no assessets, no business plan, no strategic plan, a political insider book keeper, a clerk that can't keep the Authority minutes up-to-date, and no employees.

As a grant writer/manager in Suwannee County, Mr. Roberts's base salary is $97,953. His benefits would add about another 30%, making his employment package (cost to the taxpayers) worth approximately $127,000.

Mr. Roberts's initial salary request was $150,000, plus benefits, plus FRS status as senior management, which would add a $51,780 retirement payment from the taxpayers, many of whom don't earn $51,780 a year.

According to the US Census, the per capita income in
Suwannee County is $26,484; in Columbia County it is $28,030.

Mr. Roberts is requesting continuation in the Florida Retirement System (FRS). It is unclear if, at present, Mr. Roberts is included in the Senior Management Class of the FRS, although it is not likely.

The benefit for FRS senior management class is approximately 34%, while the FRS regular class rate is approximately 13%.

Were Mr. Roberts hired at $125,000, his requested senior management FRS payment would cost the taxpayers $42,500.

Columbia County's former Utility Director (classified as part-time) was budgeted for $45,728. His FRS retirement was in the regular class, and he actually supervised people, whereas the NFWUA has no employees.

After conversation about milestones and other things NFWUA board member Steven Dicks, made a motion to hire Mr. Roberts at $140,000. Ultimately, the motion died for lack of a second.

Moses Clepper. He said the proposed salary blew his mind.

Moses Clepper came to the microphone after Chairman Ford commented that there were not any constituents in the audience. Mr. Clepper introduced himself as a constituent of Suwanee County.

Mr. Clepper questioned both Mr. Roberts and Mr. Dicks salary thresholds and said they were too much. "The salary you're proposing blows my mind. It just absolutely blows my mind," he said.

Mr. Clepper was also a dissenting voice regarding Suwannee County's high praise of Mr. Roberts.

It is important to note that after two years of meetings of the Authority, in its various incarnations, it has no strategic plan, no business plan, no comprehensive list of utility assets, no up-to-date minutes, and barely a budget. While Suwannee County has provided a list of its utilities (it claims to have 16 customers (which are serviced by an outside contractor)), Columbia County has yet to provide a list of its assets or its customer base. Recently, Columbia County has outsourced its utility work, or at least most of it.

Chairman Ford reminded the board, "Mr. Dick's  made a motion for 140," adding, "I thought about 130."

Commissioner Tim Murphy was recognized.

A thoughtful Commissioner Tim Murphy during the meeting. Although he screwed up the negotiations, he appears to be working hard to up his game, be recognized before speaking out, and doing his homework.

"I gotta agree with the gentleman… I reached out to five different plant operators with 15 years of experience or more. And, you know, these are the people that deal with the Shannons of the world… But, you know, I've got my constituents… 125 would be my max at this point. That's all I can support. And I really struggle with that."

Suwannee County’s Leo Mobley said, “I make a motion on the 125." Suwannee County’s Franklin seconded the motion.”

Commissioner White was recognized, “125 [$125,000], let's not be kidding ourselves here. There's more to it than this. There's retirement, there's insurance, there's a pickup truck, there's a lot, there's more perks than the 125… Around the corner, you're going to have to hire some more people to run this. Shannon, he's very capable, and I have no doubt in his ability, but at some point, he's going to get overrun, pretty quick. I think it's a lot to handle. It's a lot to put together. And so, I feel like the 125 is fair to start with, with a six-month evaluation and a twelve-month evaluation to raise his pay up to 135 at that point.”

Commissioner White continued, explaining that a schedule of goals should be included in the motion.

Commissioner Mobley amended his motion to include goals.

Commissioner Murphy asked the clerk to read back the motion. From the audience, the clerk's remarks were mostly incomprehensible.

Commissioner Rocky Ford (Columbia) had a little trouble speaking into the microphone, however, he ran a smooth meeting, except for allowing people to blurt out from the audience without being recognized. Here he is listening to Mr. Clepper.

Chairman Ford gave a rundown of goals. He said, “If y'all agree with them, this is kind of what I've come up with.” Mr. Ford mentioned the administration of water utility grants, all utility billing and collections for both counties, and implement the rate study. Mr. Ford added, "the final and last goal will be a transition of assets from the counties to the utilities."

A Tsunami Is Comming

Those in the know are waiting for the transfer of utilities and assets to the Authority. For the past year and then some, Columbia County has not been able to come up with, or at least acknowledge, its assets, their values, and the County's liabilities. The longer the County waits – the bigger the question mark.

There was more talk by Commissioner White about extending goals to 18 months.

While this meeting was to include finalizing the Shannon Roberts contract, it became just a negotiating session. Authority attorney Grady Williams told Mr. White that the board could get back to refining the contract once more of the details were worked out.

NFWUA attorney Grady Williams.

After another thirty minutes, Commissioner Murphy interrupted NFUWA Attorney Grady Williams, asking Shannon Roberts, “I just have to. I mean. You can solve this real quick. Is the salary acceptable at this point, Shannon?”

Mr. Roberts answered, "I don't think so."

Mr. Murphy withdrew his second.

Franklin White asked Mr. Roberts, “Would the 125 ($125,000) with the cap of the 150 ($150,000) with evaluations in between on a two-year basis, be acceptable to you?”

JD Curls, without being recognized, interrupted the meeting from the audience. Chairman Ford did not ask him to come to the microphone.

JD Curls. Mr. Curls seems to represent Gallagher insurance, although his association with Tyson Johnson's firm and who Mr. Curls represents was never explained. When Mr. Curls addressed the board the first time, he knew well enough to come to the podium. By the end of the meeting, Mr. Curls forgot his manners, blurting out from the audience.

Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Curls made unsubstantiated claims about attorney approvals for Shannon Roberts's being able to be insured by Suwannee County after he resigned and was hired by the Authority.

Mr. Curls said, "You guys have been all over the place today, so I'm not even sure where we're at based on where we started. It makes me reluctant because I'm not sure what things have changed underneath. Would it be possible to just have something reduced into writing so I can see it?"

Mr. Curls was previously invited to the negotiation session, which Commissioner Murphy canceled. These things could have been worked out there.

Commissioner White, the man who didn’t want to negotiate with Suwannee County’s employee came up with a new deal for Mr. Roberts.

Commissioner White said, “If we start you at 125 with a cap at 150 over twenty-four months, with evaluations every six months, plus all the benefits, is that something that you would entertain?"

Mr. White did not wait for an answer.

He continued, "I would make a motion, Mr. Chairman, for a $125,000 base salary with a $150,000 cap over two years, with the milestones outlined, but that you've given before and negotiated out in the contract, what those increases would be as those milestones are reached over those 24 months, that's what my motion is."

Shannon Roberts said, "I would entertain that."

Somebody seconded the motion. It was not clear who. There was some more conversation with the attorney.

Chairman Ford said, "I'm kind of wondering where we are all at right now.”

There was more talk about milestones. Grady Williams read from the utility charter.

Chairman Ford called for the vote.

Epilogue

After an hour and 30 minutes, the talking came to an end.

Commissioner Leo Mobley (Suwannee) has been a man of few words on the Authority. He has spent a lifetime in the beef business and knows how difficult making ends meet can be.

Chairman Ford, who just said, "I'm kind of wondering where we are all at right now," voted for the motion.

Vice Chair Franklin White, who had previously said he didn't want to negotiate with a Suwannee County employee, voted for the motion he negotiated.

Steven Dicks, the Columbia County resident on the board – there are no Suwannee County residents, voted along with Mr. White and Ford.

Commissioner Murphy (Columbia) and Commissioner Mobley (Suwannee) voted against.

After two years, this is all the NFWUA could come up with.

Correction: On Saturday, April 28, was corrected to Satruday, April 26.