The Alachua County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to offer the City of Archer accounting and planning services.
The move comes almost a month after Archer’s account specialist, Cindy Thomas, revealed that Archer had accrued approximately $177,000 in debt to the Internal Revenue Service after failing to pay employment taxes for over a year.
Commissioner Mary Alford appeared at Archer’s City Commission meeting Tuesday evening and said from the podium, “We believe it’s in Alachua County’s best interest to help the City of Archer maintain its charter and its financial good standing.”
She said the county would offer “whatever help you need.” Alford said the county’s assistance came at the behest of Archer resident William “Bill” Lewandowski instead of the city commission.
“We can’t get a letter from a citizen asking,” Alford said to the dais, “We need to have that letter come from you.”
The county’s offer comes a week after Archer notified the state government of its financial emergency. Following Florida Statue 218.503, Archer officials were required to inform the state 30 days after determining that the city was in a financial emergency.
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, Interim City Manager Deanna Alltop sent a letter notifying Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee of Archer’s financial crisis.
Archer’s city attorney, Kiersten Ballou, clarified that as soon as the commission determined that the city could not pay its bills due to lack of funding last month, they informed the state.
Alltop said the city still awaits a response from the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, which is expected to offer Archer further financial and accounting assistance.
As Tuesday’s meeting continued, the commission struggled to agree on the next step to take to clean up its finances.
On Oct. 31, Thomas resigned from her employment with the city, leaving the account specialist position open amid an ongoing audit.
Alltop said Thomas’ letter of resignation cited family health issues as the reason for her sudden departure.
Soon after Thomas resigned, Ballou’s law firm recommended Dallas Lee, Newberry’s Chief Financial Officer and Assistant City Manager, to the commission. Lee began working with the city last week.
Archer Commissioner Fletcher Hope motioned to hire Lee as a temporary account specialist to assist the city through its audit while looking for Thomas’ replacement.
Commissioner Joan White pushed against the motion objecting to the cost of Lee’s services.
“We’re in the hole a lot, and we need to get out of the hole,” said White. “And paying somebody $95 an hour is not getting us out.”
Lee was contracted to work 15 hours a week with a monthly payment cap of $5,000.
Some audience members agreed with White that $95 an hour is too expensive given Archer’s current financial situation. Another glaring issue to some citizens is where Lee works.
“For some reason, we seem to be pushed into Newberry,” said Roberta Lopez, “I don’t want them to be over Archer and over me.”
Others in the audience thought it was a small price to pay.
Lizzie Robinson Jenkins, a lifelong resident of Archer, stepped up to the podium and said, “In order to make money, you need to spend money.”
White proceeded to mention Karen Fiore, a rates and economic analysis manager for Gainesville Regional Utilities, who offered to help the city free of charge in September, but who was not offered the position after Thomas resigned.
“I’m going to pull back,” said Fiore, “but I’m happy to work with him (Dallas Lee) if you hire him as a contractor.”
After a heated discussion between the city commission and Archer community members, the commission unanimously voted to hire Lee. Although Fiore had endorsed Lee, the argument over the city’s finances and whether hiring Lee was the right choice continued to try the commissioners’ patience.
“I was challenged not to consider $95 an hour for what is our biggest problem right now,” said Hope, “Oh, my God, and the guy will leave in 30 days if he’s done his job.” He gestured towards Lee.
Archer resident Sharon Williams questioned whether it was necessary to hire Lee.
“I’m emotional because I want you all to understand so when people come up here and say XYZ, yeah, it may sound like it’s personal,” said Williams, as she held back tears, “but you have to take it as a group.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
