Built for Them, Paid by You: The Structure Behind Wakulla’s Fire Fee Hikes

The Real Question for Civic Engagement

Not “Is this illegal?” Not “Is this corruption?”

But:

Is this structure serving the public or serving itself?

This is not about personalities. This is not about political sides. This is about systems, structures, and incentives. And whether those systems are aligned with the people who pay for them.

Part I. The County Attorney, the Law Firm, and the Silence

For nearly 16 years, Wakulla County has contracted its legal services through the law firm Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson, P.A. (NG & N). This firm specializes in representing local governments across Florida. Their attorney has become a familiar presence in our meetings, ordinances, and policy decisions.

But familiarity is not transparency.

When Wakulla Reports published an article about the attorney’s free book program, it unexpectedly sparked public curiosity. People wanted to know:

• Who is this attorney?

• •Who does she work for?

• •How long has this firm been embedded in Wakulla County?

• Why does the Board of County Commissioners remain silent when her ideology appears to conflict with the majority of Wakulla voters?

These are not partisan questions. These are governance questions. The silence from the Board suggests a deeper dynamic. One that deserves examination, not accusation.

Part II. The Corporate Web: NG and N to GSG to FAC

This is where the story becomes structural.

1996: NG and N incorporates Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG)

Sunbiz records show that in December 1996, the law firm Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson filed the incorporation paperwork for Government Services Group, Inc.

At one time the registered agent was Virginia “Ginger” Delegal. She later became the Executive Director of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC). See previous blog outlining these details with links here.

The initial Board of Directors included:

• Robert L. Nabors

• George H. Nickerson

• L. Thomas Giblin

• T. Duncan Rose

• Robert E. Sheets

Three of these individuals were principals of NG&N. Two others shared the same address, different suite number. This is not speculation. This is corporate documentation.

2004 to 2008: The transition years

By 2004, the registered agent changed from Delegal to Heather Encinosa, the same attorney who now represents Wakulla County. NG and N principals remained on the GSG board until 2008. This means:

For 12 years, the county attorney’s law firm controlled the company that sells services to counties. Not illegal. But structurally significant.

Part III. GSG Becomes Anser Advisory, Then Accenture, But the Pattern Remains

Government Services Group eventually became part of Anser Advisory. Later, Accenture acquired Anser’s public sector division. But the lineage remains: NG& N to GSG to Anser to Accenture. And Wakulla County has continued to contract with these entities for:

• SHIP housing program administration

• CDBG grant administration

• Septic upgrade program administration

• Fire assessment studies

• EMS assessment studies

• Revenue sufficiency analyses

• Fee studies

This is not coincidence. This is a pipeline.

Part IV. The Fire and EMS Assessment Studies: A Case Study in Structural Alignment

In December 2025, the County Administrator approved a proposal from Accenture to update the Fire Assessment and create a brand new EMS assessment. This was months before the public workshop.

The workshop packet states:

• “On December 8, 2025, the County Administrator approved a proposal from Accenture, LLC…”

• “The primary objective is to seek direction for implementation…”

• “Direction provided will eliminate staff bringing back an agenda item…”

This means:

The decision was made before the public ever saw it. The workshop was not a discussion. It was a rollout.

The proposed increases:

• Fire fee: 263 dollars to 310 dollars to 352 dollars

• New EMS assessment: 115 dollars per home

• Commercial, industrial, and institutional rates also rising

The timeline is already locked in:

• EMS Ordinance adoption: June 15, 2026

• Initial assessment resolutions: July 13, 2026

• Final assessment resolutions: September 8, 2026

This is not exploratory. This is execution.

Part V. The Workshop the Public Could Not See

This is where transparency meets structure, and structure wins. During the May 4, 2026 Fire and EMS Assessment Workshop, the same workshop where Accenture’s fee increase recommendations were unveiled, the county’s social media livestream went down. Residents could not watch the meeting in real time. The workshop packet emphasizes the importance of public input: “The primary objective of this Workshop is to have free and open discussion and to receive citizen input.” But when the livestream failed, the public could not see:

• the presentation

• the discussion

• the questions

• the reactions

• the direction given to staff

And remember, the same packet also states:

“Direction provided to staff will eliminate staff bringing back an agenda item.”

Meaning:

A workshop that could eliminate the need for a future public vote was held without the public being able to watch it. This is a transparency failure. Not because anyone intended it, but because the structure allows it.

Workshops are already:

• not required to have public comment

• not required to have votes

• not required to have livestreams

• not required to be archived

And yet, they can be used to give “direction” that shapes policy. When the livestream goes down, even accidentally, the public loses the only window they have into the process. This is why structure matters. This is why transparency matters. This is why civic engagement matters.

Part VI. Why This Matters: The Ecosystem Effect

When one ecosystem controls:

• the legal advice

• the fee studies

• the grant administration

• the policy recommendations

• the training of commissioners through FAC

• the model ordinances

• the implementation timelines

The outcomes become predictable. Not because anyone is doing anything illegal. Not because anyone is corrupt. But because systems serve the incentives they are built on. And this system is built on:

• assessments

• fees

• studies

• grants

• administrative contracts

• long term embedded relationships

The public is not part of that ecosystem. They are the funding source for it.

Part VII. The Real Civic Question

This is the heart of the matter. Is this structure serving the public or serving itself? That is the question that cuts through noise. That is the question that makes people click the documents. That is the question that makes residents finally understand why decisions feel pre baked. And it is the question every resident deserves to ask.

Part VIII. What Residents Can Do

1. Read the documents yourself

2. Review the Sunbiz filings

3. Follow the contracts

4. Attend the workshops and hearings

5. Ask the structural question

6. Not “Who do you like?” Not “Who do you dislike?” Not “Who is the villain?” But: Does this system serve the people who pay for it?

Part IX. The Cliff Notes

• NG & N incorporated GSG in 1996. • GSG later became Anser Advisory, then part of Accenture. • NG & N principals sat on GSG’s board until 2008. • The original registered agent is now Executive Director of FAC. • The current county attorney at one time was GSG’s registered agent. • Wakulla County contracts with these entities for administration, grants, studies, and assessments. • Accenture created the Fire and EMS assessment studies now being implemented. • The workshop was held after decisions were already in motion. • The livestream failed during the workshop. • The structure is legal but structurally conflicted. • The real question is whether this system serves the public.

Final Thought

This is not about attacking individuals. This is about understanding systems. Because systems shape outcomes. And outcomes shape communities. If residents do not understand the structure, they cannot influence it. If they cannot influence it, they cannot hold it accountable. And if they cannot hold it accountable, the structure will serve itself, not the people.

Stay sharp, Wakulla!