Concerned citizen and businessman Steven Fults is accusing Wakulla County Administrator Benjamin Pingree of mismanagement of county resources and ethics violations.

A public hearing was held Thursday night to give residents a chance to hear the list of complaints and voice their concerns. But before they could, County Commissioner Mike Stewart weighed in. "I absolutely don't want to be part of this and I'm embarrassed we are here listening to this and I hope this motion dies right here with this discussion."

Commission Chairman Howard Kessler countered that by saying Florida's Sunshine law makes this scheduled hearing a matter of law.

Unlike many expected Pingree did not resign. "I've been an ethical and professional public administrator across this state for many years. I've served with distinction here and I'm proud of it. I will continue to do that in the future," says Pingree.

Other residents believed this was started because of personal dislike and not because the administrator isn't doing his job.

Resident Ralph Thomas says people should focus on the commissioners fixing problems not the administrator. "Mr. Pingree is becoming a scape goat to many of the problems we're having in the county right now."

"We've been censored tonight. This meeting was adjourned and voted on by four commissioners that said essentially they didn't want to hear from the citizens anymore," says, Fults.

Attorneys for the commission stated Florida's law says if a commissioner has concerns about an employee's performance, they can submit their concerns in writing but if they want to discuss it with another commissioner, that has to be done in public.

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