Commissioners must detail net worth unless lawsuit blocks new rule
Winter Park commissioners will consider at the next meeting whether to join a lawsuit to try prevent the financial disclosure rules from taking effect
Jan. 25, 2024
By Beth Kassab
About 12 miles south of Winter Park in another affluent city centered on a different chain of lakes, four out of the seven elected commissioners in the city of Belle Isle have resigned over new and far more detailed financial disclosures required by the state.
The new law, which beginning this year requires elected city officials to detail their net worth including assets and liabilities valued at $1,000 or more by July, is sparking resignations across Florida and, now, a legal challenge.
While no elected officials have resigned in Winter Park, city commissioners are now mulling whether to join a lawsuit that City Attorney Kurt Ardaman said he expects to be filed in early February.
Mayor Phil Anderson said during the discussion at Wednesday’s meeting that the new requirements appear intrusive.
“Note that no one resigned so come July 1, there’s going to be stuff out there we wouldn’t have normally had to do,” Anderson said. “You care about your community, but you also care about your privacy. This seems to be a pretty big reach into your privacy.”
Form 6, which has been filed by the governor, lawmakers, school boards and other constitutional officers for many years, is a new requirement for city officials as a result of changes by the Florida Legislature last year. Until now, city officials filed a far less detailed disclosure known as Form 1, which asked for sources of income, property and liabilities, but did not require any dollar amounts.
The forms are then added to a Florida Commission on Ethics database searchable by the public.
Commissioner Todd Weaver expressed concerns over potential theft over having to list expensive items in his home.
“I just feel like its an open invitation for theft,” he said. “I think its egregious.”
But the form allows officials to report household items as an aggregate figure without a detailed list. The detail required is related to financial assets, property, business interests and any debts. Liabilities are then subtracted from an official’s total assets to determine net worth.
While a number of elected officials have called the change an overreach, the ethics commission uses them as a way to provide the public with accountability when it comes to understanding any conflicts of interest an elected official might have. The forms could also serve as a check on whether officials appear to be privately profiting from holding public office.
Ardaman said the city would pay a $10,000 flat fee to join the lawsuit. He said multiple cities he represents are considering whether to join.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that in surveyed local governments in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, and found that eight elected officials have resigned. They include two in Edgewood, one in Casselberry, and one Windermere, in addition to the four in Belle Isle.
Commissioners set another discussion on the topic for Feb. 14.
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By: Beth Kassab
No biography available at this time
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I think this is a good thing. Other local elected officials have been doing it for years without incident. Why should these local elected officials be any different?
Much ado about nothing. The “searchable” data base only shows if the form has been filed. To view the form you need to contact the Ethics Commission in Tally. 1/10th of 1% of the voters would bother. And who cares if you’re net worth is what you say it is? Is someone going to challenge it?
Posting a general range of your net worth is silly….just as all these “transparency” rules are. The insiders are allowed a pass if the rules aren’t followed and the outsider is raked over the coals.
Pitt, The Form 6’s that are currently filed are available for viewing in the database. Some forms (such as the Form 1’s for municipal officials) are filed with local supervisors of elections. It varies as to whether those are available online or whether you must request them. Also the net worth figure isn’t a range, but a figure.
My mistakes. You’re right. But who is going to know whether my net worth is just my house and 2 old cars or just my house , 2 old cars and a Rembrandt hanging in the living room? And who cares?
This is good news. Transparency is important to the residents of Winter Park. Mr. Weaver’s statement is one that causes concern. I don’t believe we have a crime problem in Winter Park but maybe Mr. Weaver knows something I don’t know. Keeps elected Officials accountable is always good!
My concern would be the use of the information for fraud or other criminal activity especially as local commissioners are part-time and mostly volunteer. I was fine with the forms I had to previously fill out.