June 1, 2026 BOCC Meeting Agenda

Items 5 through 11: A Clear Pattern Citizens Deserve to See

This meeting contains several routine items, but it also reveals something more important. Across four separate agenda items, the County awards or extends consultant and vendor contracts without competitive procurement. Each exemption is technically allowed under state law, but the pattern raises real questions about fiscal stewardship and whether the County is doing enough to protect taxpayer dollars.

Below is a breakdown of Items 5 through 11, written for citizens who want clarity, not jargon.

Item 5. Azalea Park Grant Closeout

The County is finalizing a $400,000 improvement project at Azalea Park. The project was funded by a $200,000 state grant and a $200,000 County match. Most upgrades were completed, but EV charging stations were removed due to cost increases.

To close out the grant, the state requires a Notice of Site Dedication. The Chairman signed it to meet the deadline, and the Board is now being asked to ratify that signature.

This item is straightforward.

Item 6. Emergency Operations Center AV System

The County is purchasing $178,826.03 in audio visual equipment for the new Emergency Operations Center. The purchase uses a cooperative procurement contract, which means the County did not conduct its own competitive bid. Procurement staff confirmed that the cooperative contract meets policy.

This is the first item in this meeting where the County relies on a procurement exemption rather than testing the market. Depending on what government entity the county has chosen to piggyback off of, there is still no guarantee it is a "best price" scenario.

Item 7. Septic Upgrade Incentive Program Administration

This item deserves attention.

The County is proposing a new $90,000 administrative contract for the DEP Septic Upgrade Incentive Program. The work has been handled by the same consultant lineage since 2020. That lineage is:

GSG acquired by Anser Advisory acquired by Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects

Wakulla Reports has documented that GSG was incorporated by the County Attorney’s law firm. GSG originally handled housing programs, then expanded into MSBU studies, septic program administration, and other County functions. Each time the firm changed hands, the County continued with the successor without rebidding.

The agenda states that this contract is exempt from competitive procurement.

This is the second item where the County defaults to convenience over competition.

Item 8. Rural Health Transformation Program Grant Application

The County is seeking approval to apply for a federal Rural Health Transformation Program grant to support a Preventative Care and Care at Home program through Wakulla County Fire Rescue. This includes mobile health services, community paramedicine, remote patient monitoring, and retail clinic support.

This item is a grant application and does not involve procurement.

Item 9. Annual County Audit Contract

The County is proposing to extend its contract with James Moore and Company for another four years. JMCO was originally selected through a competitive process in 2020, but the contract has been extended multiple times since then.

Audit costs have risen from 88,000 dollars in FY 2020 to 138,000 dollars in FY 2029. This is a 56 percent increase.

Auditing services are exempt from competitive bidding under Florida Administrative Code. The County is not required to check the market or compare pricing. The Audit Committee extended the contract in an 18 minute meeting with no discussion of alternatives.

This is the third item where the County uses a procurement exemption instead of exploring potential savings.

Item 10. Wastewater Rate and Fee Study

The County is proposing a new 84,800 dollar wastewater rate and fee study by Raftelis. Raftelis completed the last study in 2021. The County cites familiarity with the system as the reason for continuing with the same firm.

The agenda notes that consulting services are exempt from competitive procurement.

This is the fourth item in this meeting where the County awards work without competitive bidding.

The Pattern Across Items 6, 7, 9, and 10

Here is what citizens see when these items are lined up:

• Repeated use of the same vendors

• No market testing. No price comparison. No evaluation of alternatives.

• Procurement exemptions used as the default

• Cooperative purchasing. Consulting exemptions. Audit exemptions. Familiarity with the system.

Administrative costs continue to rise

Wakulla already spends a large share of its budget on administration. These repeated no bid extensions contribute to that.

A consultant pipeline that never resets

Especially in the case of GSG, Anser, and Accenture. A firm that originated with the County Attorney’s law office continues to receive work through multiple acquisitions without rebidding.

No public discussion of potential savings

The Audit Committee extended a multimillion dollar contract in under twenty minutes.

Why This Matters

This is not about accusing anyone of wrongdoing. It is about fiscal responsibility.

When four separate agenda items in one meeting involve awarding or extending consultant work without competitive procurement, citizens have every right to ask:

• Are we even trying to save money?

• Why do we default to the same firms year after year?

• Why is there no effort to compare pricing?

• Why is exempt from procurement the answer so often If we already spend most of our budget on administration, why are we not sharpening pencils?

These are reasonable questions grounded in the County’s own documents.

Closing Thought

Wakulla County is growing. Costs are rising. Citizens are feeling the pressure. When the County repeatedly chooses convenience over competition, it sends a message that cost savings are not a priority. Especially with the Governor extending a special session to nix property tax and reduce the budget significantly.

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