Suwannee County approves independent audit of Emergency Operations Center after allegations of lost grants

The Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 22 to hire Cherry Beckert Advisory LLC to perform an independent audit of the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and adopted a resolution requiring all county employees to cooperate with the auditor.

The audit contract was approved by voice vote after a motion by Commissioner White and a second by Commissioner Perkins; commissioners voted 5-0 to proceed. The board then approved a resolution affirming the county's commitment to public safety and ordering cooperation with the audit on a unanimous 5-0 vote (motion by Commissioner Hale; second by Commissioner Perkins).

The resolution cites Florida Statute 252.38 and a county agreement (Agreement 2018-11) assigning operation of county emergency management to the Suwannee County Sheriff. It recounts statements made April 15 by Deputy Chris Volz that at least $7 million in grant funds had been irrevocably lost and that additional grant applications worth “tens of millions” were at risk. The board said it had not been informed of those issues before Deputy Volz’s comments on April 15.

County Administrator Greg Scott, who was absent from the April 15 meeting because of recent open-heart surgery, provided an email read into the record in which he “strongly denie[d] working against emergency management” and said he looked forward to the audit to “clear all Board of County Commission employee names.” The board directed the audit firm to report to the county attorney, who will report to the board as needed.

The contract with Cherry Beckert was described in the meeting as not to exceed $108,700 and the board said Cherry Beckert is expected to deliver a report and recommendations by August 2025. The resolution states that failure by county employees to comply with audit requests may be grounds for discipline under county personnel policies; failure by contract employees up to and including the county administrator could be grounds for termination of the contract. The resolution also directs Cherry Beckert to refer any suspected alteration, destruction or concealment of records to appropriate authorities.

Public comment at the emergency meeting largely supported an audit. Several residents said they want transparency and better coordination in grant work and storm response. Heather Henderson, identified at the meeting as the deputy director for emergency management, told commissioners, “we are completely gonna comply with your audit,” and described the office as a two-person operation that is already preparing for storm season while handling a heavy volume of grant paperwork and RFIs.

Suwannee County Sheriff Sam Saint John addressed the board and described the matter primarily as a communication and education issue between county staff and the sheriff’s office rather than a personnel attack. He said his office would continue emergency operations and welcomed a neutral third party to evaluate processes.

Commissioners said the audit and the resolution were intended to establish an unbiased review and to clarify where any problems occurred so the county can correct them before hurricane season. The board emphasized it sought transparency and not to single out individuals.

The immediate effect is procedural: Cherry Beckert will begin its audit, report to the county attorney, and deliver findings and recommendations by the August 2025 time frame stated in the contract. The board approved the contract and the resolution in the emergency session; commissioners also made clear they expect continued EOC operations during the audit and urged cooperation among county staff and the sheriff’s office.