Supervisors advised to avoid joint "Coffee with Candidates" events under Sunshine, election guidance

At the Oct. 15 meeting of the Heritage Pines Community Development District Board of Supervisors, District Manager Chuck Adams opened discussion of District Counsel's written response about a proposed "Coffee with Candidates" event and whether incumbents could participate.

Chair Kathleen Lonergan read District Counsel's email, which said: "If any incumbent Supervisor is interested in participating they will need to ensure compliance with the election code and I think it would be a fair request for them to ask them to arrange separate events per seat to avoid any potential Sunshine Law violations." Vice Chair Arthur Rhodes said "our guy" would not attend under the interpretation provided because of campaign and Sunshine Rules. Board members noted that the HPCA attorney's opinion differed in some respects from District Counsel's interpretation and that portions of the Florida statute and enforcement are handled by the Florida Election Commission. The board did not take formal action on the event; District Counsel recommended that incumbents who wish to participate hold separate, seat-specific events to reduce legal risk.

The guidance clarifies that the district and incumbents must consider both the state election code and Sunshine Law limitations before participating in or sponsoring events involving candidates. The board discussed whether to hold a workshop on the topic and noted that complaints about elections are enforced by the Florida Election Commission, which issues determinations rather than advisory opinions. No next step or formal vote was recorded on the agenda item.