GOVERNOR REAPPOINTS HIGGINS & TOPPINO TO WATER UTILITY BOARD EX- WIFE OF FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THEN SUES UTILITY FLORIDA WITHDRAWS FROM MULTI-STATE VOTER DATABASE

Move Surprises And Disappoints

Many Local Election Officials

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month reappointed two members to the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) board of directors. Richard Toppino and Cara Higgins were reappointed to four-year terms.

Two weeks after the reappointment, Jolynn Reynolds, a former aqueduct authority employee and the ex-wife of its former executive director, Jim Reynolds, filed a lawsuit against the Florida Keys’ water company.

In the March 10 lawsuit, Jolynn Reynolds claims Cara Higgins “used her position on the aqueduct authority board to act in favor of her own personal interests and to retaliate against anyone who opposed her or attempted to bring her misconduct to light.”

The lawsuit alleges that Higgins, who has been in a relationship with the plaintiff’s ex-husband, Jim Reynolds, since the Reynoldses separated, contributed to the end of her marriage, and used her position on the FKAA board to help Jim Reynolds’ private company secure contracts with the FKAA involving inspection services for the new FKAA headquarters building in Key West.

Higgins told the Florida Commission on Ethics that she had abstained from voting on any and all matters related to Jim Reynolds’ company and any contracts potentially awarded to it.

The claims levied in Jolynn Reynolds’ lawsuit are the same eight allegations she filed in earlier ethics complaints against Higgins that were dismissed by the Florida Commission on Ethics due to a lack of probable cause.

In July 2022, the Florida Commission on Ethics “found no probable cause on eight allegations of violations of the ethics laws,” against Higgins, according to documents from the state commission.

“(HIggins) is a public officer who is involved in a dating relationship with a vendor of her agency. The relationship was disclosed to the (FKAA) Board….(Higgins’) actions seemed reasonable and in the best interests of FKAA and the taxpayers,” wrote Elizabeth Miller, advocate for the Commission on Ethics, who investigated all of JoLynn Reynolds’ allegations against Higgins.

When reached by the Keys Weekly on March 28, Higgins said, “The Ethics Commission reviewed the numerous allegations made, performed an extensive investigation and found no evidence whatsoever to support any of it. The investigator did however find that my actions were not only reasonable, but also in the best interest of the FKAA. I will not comment on the rehashing of already refuted accusations. My focus remains on moving forward with the FKAA on improvements to our infrastructure, fiscal responsibility and service to our ratepayers. This is an exciting time for the FKAA. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve another term with our current Board and with Mr. Veliz at the helm.”

Greg Veliz, the current executive director of FKAA, told the Keys Weekly last week he cannot comment on pending litigation.

No hearings had been scheduled for the lawsuit as of March 28.

Florida’s March 6 withdrawal from a nonprofit, multi-state database created to ensure accurate voter rolls and avoid duplicate voting shocked and disappointed many local election officials, including Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin.

“I was stunned. We were all stunned,” Griffin told the Keys Weekly on March 21. “All the supervisors in Florida had fought for our state to join ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center). But we didn’t know Florida was withdrawing until 15 minutes before it was announced. I don’t know why the governor and Florida secretary of state Cord Byrd did this. I’m really sorry that it happened, but I have to accept what I can’t change.”

Byrd announced Florida’s withdrawal from ERIC in a March 6 press release that alluded to partisan leadership on the board of the nonprofit and questions about data security.

“Today’s announcement follows efforts led by Florida over the past year to reform ERIC through attempts to secure data and eliminate ERIC’s partisan tendencies, all of which were rejected,” Byrd’s press release states. “Withdrawing from ERIC will ensure the data privacy of Florida voters is protected. Florida is joined in withdrawing from ERIC Membership today by the states of Missouri and West Virginia.

“As secretary of state, I have an obligation to protect the personal information of Florida’s citizens, which the ERIC agreement requires us to share. Florida has tried to back reforms to increase protections, but these protections were refused. Therefore, we have lost confidence in ERIC.”

But those statements from Byrd came just weeks after he had praised ERIC for helping Florida identify voters who had voted in more than one state, according to a March 6 article in Politico.

“Byrd told members of a legislative panel that the information was used in the arrest of a woman last November who had allegedly voted in both Alaska and Florida,” Politico’s Zach Montellaro and Gary Fineout write.

“‘We do derive valid information from ERIC in order to do list maintenance,’ Byrd told legislators.

“DeSantis himself pushed for Florida to join the group in 2019 after former Gov. Rick Scott had blocked it. The likely presidential contender has made ‘election integrity’ a talking point in his speeches and pushed to create a special unit to investigate election related crimes, including voter fraud. DeSantis even praised ERIC in passing during a press conference last summer as an important tool in that toolbox,” the Politico article continues.

Yet the multi-state partnership is now without one of its leading partners in Florida, which has one of the highest populations of seasonal residents.

FLORIDA KEYS BOARD OF REALTORS presents our annual

Wednesday, December 7

Doors Open 5:30pm • Play from 6-8pm

FLORIDA KEYS BREWERY’S “BEER GARDEN”

Corner of Old Hwy and Morada Way 81611 Old Hwy., Islamorada

$20 donation includes: 3 cards & dauber

$5 for 3 additional cards

Serving light hors d'oeuvres / Cash Bar

GRAND PRIZES FOR WINNING CARDS

Come in costume as your favorite Christmas/Holiday movie character

BEST COSTUME PRIZE awarded at 8pm

(fkcs.org)

Staff is amazing. Calling for assistance is always top-notch. Staff is just the nicest you will ever have. Very happy with everything. Thank you for all you do for us and our community!

SERVING ISLAMORADA PROUDLY SINCE EARLY 2020 TRUSTED SERVICE PROVIDER IN MONROE COUNTY SINCE 1995.