ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A current employee is speaking out about how ongoing political interference at the St. Augustine Airport is causing serious problems with its day-to-day operations.
Only Action News Jax’s Emily Turner got a copy of the whistleblower’s letter to the governor’s office, asking it to step in and take action.
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He said he is concerned the letter could cost him his job, but he said things have gotten so bad that he has to say something.
As a self-described 20-year veteran employee of the airport, he said it is “currently in severe trouble” and the “maintenance, administration, and financial difficulties are a joke.”
Action News Jax first told you last month that three of the five airport board members for the airport resigned after being charged with Sunshine Law violations, accused of doing public business behind closed doors.
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Now, the board doesn’t have a quorum, and with the new fiscal year approaching, it can’t even vote on essential items like the new budget, projects, or any expenditure of more than $35,000.
The employee said he might be considered a “whistleblower” who was “deeply involved” in the investigation into the board members.
The letter goes on to say that without change, the airport will “self-destruct.”
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The employee asks Gov. Ron DeSantis not to appoint anyone to those three empty board seats who is a tenant, employee, or owner of a business at the airport, or a member of the pilots’ association, because of the conflict of interest that would create, and did with the former members.
The positions are elected, but because of the nature of how this happened, DeSantis’ office needs to appoint replacements to serve until the next election, which isn’t for a while.
Turner reached out to DeSantis’ office about when he plans to appoint someone and hasn’t heard back. She has also requested all the applications submitted by people who want the job.
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