Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Government Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Walton County split 2–2 on confirmation of new HR director; commissioners debate adopting ordinance
Summary
Walton County commissioners split 2–2 on March 25 over confirmation of Terry Franksman as human resources director; the motion to confirm failed and the board directed staff to draft ordinance options to clarify future confirmations.
A motion to confirm Terry Franksman as department head of Walton County’s Human Resources Department failed on a 2–2 vote at the March 25 Board of County Commissioners meeting. Commissioners who voted in favor cited past practice and the desire to provide clarity; those opposed said the county has not formally adopted the portion of Florida Statutes that would require confirmation and questioned confirming a hire after the employee already started work.
County staff told the board that Franksman was hired in March 2024 and that the county had used a practice of confirming department heads during commission meetings going back several years. County Attorney Clay Atkinson and staff briefed the board on Florida Statutes sections 125.70–125.74, explaining that the statutes “may apply” to counties that adopt an ordinance expressly adopting the part; Walton County has not passed such an ordinance, he said, so the statutes are not automatically binding. Atkinson said the board could adopt an ordinance to establish a confirmation process and that conditional offers or probationary hires are legally permissible pending confirmation, if the board wished to adopt such policy.
Commissioners debated governance philosophy and the proper role of the elected commission in confirmations. Some members argued that the board should not be engaged in day-to-day hiring decisions and that the county administrator should have authority, while others argued confirmation is an appropriate legislative check. Commissioner Curry asked for a staff-drafted ordinance to clarify the county’s practice; Commissioner Drake and others urged abandoning the confirmation practice unless the board formally adopts an ordinance. After the 2–2 tie, county counsel explained that the motion failed and the status quo remained: Franksman remains employed but is not confirmed by the board.
Commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance (if the board wants the confirmation process) and to return with recommendations about whether the county will continue the practice of seeking confirmations. Several commissioners said they favored putting a clear ordinance in place so elected officials, staff and applicants understand the process going forward.
