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'Coffee with Candidates' could raise Sunshine Law concerns, counsel advised, board told
Summary
District Counsel advised incumbents interested in a 'Coffee with Candidates' event to ensure election-code compliance and consider holding separate seat-specific events to avoid Sunshine Law violations; the board discussed differing attorney views.
Board members discussed District Counsels written response about a proposed "Coffee with Candidates" event and whether the event could run afoul of Floridas Sunshine or election statutes. Vice Chair Arthur Rhodes said "our guy" would not attend because of the interpretation of the campaign and Sunshine rules. Chair Kathleen Lonergan read District Counsels email saying, "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."
The board noted differences between District Counsels guidance and the HPCA attorneys opinion, and discussed whether to hold workshop-style events or separate seat-specific meetings. The board did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting; District Counsels email and the suggestion to hold separate events were recorded for future consideration.
