Fort Meade commissioner resigns to protest new financial disclosure law
A new law requiring detailed financial disclosures from local elected officials has prompted at least one resignation in Polk County.
Bob Elliott, a city manager in Fort Meade for 26 years, announced at Thursday’s meeting that he would resign on Dec. 29 in protest over the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law directs elected officials at the town and city levels to complete Form 6, a public disclosure that demands much more detailed reporting than those officials previously faced.
The form compels officials to list their entire net worth, including details on bank accounts, investments, business interests and money owed. Officials across the state have resigned or said they would in response to the new law, the USA TODAY Florida Network reported.
Elliott’s announcement is largely symbolic. He lost his reelection bid in November, and Thursday’s meeting would have been his last on the City Commission, though officially he would have retained his position until Jaret Landon Williams is sworn in on Jan. 9.
Elliott, owner of Greenwood Chevrolet in Fort Meade, announced toward the end of the meeting that he had submitted his resignation, effective Dec. 29.
“And the whole purpose of that is I totally disagree with this law, which I can’t change,” Elliott said, “and the reason being I feel like it’s a severe invasion of privacy. And it totally throws out the home rule feature.”
“Home rule” is the concept of allowing cities and counties to adopt their own policies, rather than having them determined by the state government. All six of Polk County’s legislators voted in favor of the new law, titled Ethics Requirements for Public Officials, which passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate.
“I mean, when you have to take all your personal information and throw it out to somebody you don't know … I think it’s ludicrous,” Elliott said.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Fort Meade commissioner resigns to protest financial disclosure law
