Board pulls District 2 zoning‑board appointment after residents raise concerns about nominee

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners introduced a proposed appointment to the county zoning board on Jan. 22 but removed the item after commissioners and residents raised concerns about the nominee’s past conduct.

The chair read a request to appoint Randall W. Williams to represent District 2 on the zoning board. Several commissioners said they had received constituent complaints and wanted time for public input; one commissioner said citizen outreach prompted him to pull the item so the board could discuss concerns.

Two residents who had signed up to speak — Jerry Cooley and Sherry Chapman — told the board they objected to the nominee. Cooley said the nominee had a history of contentious conduct in public meetings and on social media and warned the board that appointing someone with a record of personal attacks would harm the county’s standing. Chapman said the nominee had been paid for campaign work for a candidate and then blocked paying clients on social media, describing it as unprofessional and a possible conflict with serving on a public board.

Commissioners debated standards for volunteer appointees and whether the county should develop an explicit social‑media or conduct policy for advisory boards. One commissioner said past boards had turned down appointees for social‑media behavior and code violations; others warned against a blanket purge of volunteers but supported clearer expectations going forward.

After discussion, the commission agreed to remove the appointment from consideration and take no action at the meeting. The chair suggested staff and commissioners meet to explore clearer expectations and a process for future appointments.

What’s next: The appointment of Randall W. Williams was not confirmed; the board asked staff to explore policy options and to return with recommendations rather than take immediate action on this nomination.