Tensions flared at the St. Johns County Board meeting on Tuesday as members debated whether to bring back detailed summaries of public comments in meeting minutes.
Board Chair Krista Joseph claimed that County Clerk Brandon Patty stopped including these summaries shortly after she was elected. She suggested the move was meant to keep certain opinions from being recorded online.
Joseph said she researched how other local boards handle meeting minutes and found that St. Johns County was the only one that didn’t include summaries. She pointed out that the change happened on Nov. 2, 2022.
“I wonder what happened between Nov. 2, 2022, and Oct. 18, 2022,” she said. “I think I was elected. I’m not sure why this changed so quickly. But I think we need to go back to more detail.”
Joseph argued that even brief summaries of public comments, including the topic and whether the speaker supported or opposed a resolution, should be included.
“We are eliminating public input from our decision-making process,” she said. “I can’t find any other board that does it this way. We’re better than that.”
Local resident Ed Slavin added that the previous summaries included links to video timestamps, making it easier to find specific comments.
Commissioner Christian Whitehurst pushed back against Joseph’s claims, saying she had not met with Patty to discuss the issue.
“I just don’t think it’s fair to accuse the clerk and his staff of playing politics without ever having a meeting with him,” he said.
Joseph responded that she invited someone from Patty’s office to attend the meeting, but no one showed up.
Whitehurst then asked Interim County Attorney Rich Komando if the board could force Patty to reinstate the summaries. Komando said they couldn’t, citing a legal separation between the county clerk’s office and the board of commissioners. Joseph disagreed with that position.
In the end, the board voted 3-2 to request that summaries of public comments be restored. Joseph, Ann Taylor, and Clay Murphy voted in favor, while Whitehurst and Sarah Arnold opposed the measure. Whitehurst said he couldn’t support it without more input from Patty.