Did ‘culture of favoritism’ break the law? Manatee County sends report to state prosecutors
The Manatee County Commission is asking prosecutors to review a report that implicated a former board member in the county building department’s “culture of favoritism.”
Tuesday’s 52-page report revealed that not all customers in the building department — which recently came under new leadership and rebranded as the Development Services Department — were treated fairly. A yearlong investigation by the county’s Division of the Inspector General determined that building department supervisors had urged staff to look the other way and resolve certain issues for friends and associates.
“This inconsistent and preferential treatment based on relationships appears to have created a culture of favoritism within the (Development Services) Department,” Inspector General Lori Stephens wrote.
A former commissioner is also implicated in the report. The IG’s report found three cases where Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace’s communication with John Barnott, the department’s former director, led to her and other customers receiving favorable treatment in the building department.
In one of those cases, the property owner emailed Trace to thank her for help in getting the building permit approved. Staff had previously denied the permit but reversed course after Barnott spoke with Trace and intervened.
“I truly believe I would not have obtained my permit in 2018 had I not visited with you back in May,” the property owner wrote in an email to Trace.
Reached for comment Wednesday afternoon, Trace declined to comment on the report’s findings. First elected in 2016 to represent the northeastern part of the county, Trace left office in November 2020 after losing an election to Commissioner James Satcher.
Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to forward the report to the State Attorney’s Office for legal review. The board is also considering passing the report along to the Florida Commission on Ethics, which investigates complaints against elected officials and public employees.
“This was not under the current administration. The current administration found it, and a whole lot more,” said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who raised the issue at the end of Tuesday’s public meeting. “I want to thank the administration for clearing up and cleaning up what’s taken place.”
The IG’s report also found procedural violations that are not linked to Trace. In one instance, Barnott reportedly told a staff member that an applicant could ignore the county’s proper procedure for sign placement. In a separate case, the IG said Barnott issued an improper permit for property owned by one of his golfing partners.
Barnott’s attorney provided a written statement to the IG’s office, denying any accusations of showing favoritism to any department customers. Barnott retired from his county government position in September while the IG’s investigation was ongoing.
Speaking during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, County Administrator Scott Hopes said he was disappointed to see management’s habit of intervening on behalf of their friends confirmed in the IG’s report.
“What’s most concerning to me is this behavior and this culture existed for a number of years — the sheer longevity of it,” Hopes said. “These issues are kind of hard to believe and the mere fact that it was allowed to fester for as long as it did so that you actually developed a depth of culture where it mattered more who you know, or who your friends were or who your associates were in order to have an easy time at getting permits with the county or a very difficult time and that’s not right.”
By the end of the day Friday, top county officials expect to determine whether employees will be disciplined for deviating from the policies set by the Manatee Board of County Commissioners.
“The acting human resources director currently is reviewing the report and getting counseled by the Inspector General to determine what, if any, action should be taken now that we have clear evidence and findings of the board policies and procedures not being followed,” Hopes explained.
Earlier this year, the county hired Courtney De Pol to become the director of the Development Services Department. Since then, De Pol has expressed a commitment to improving customer service and efficiency within the building department.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 6:35 PM.
