Charter Proposal Costs Time and Now Money Group Volunteers to Donate $1,000 Toward Legal Costs.

By christina abel and kevin clark

A Ponte Vedra Beach residents group that wants tighter controls on the St. Johns County commissioners has lined up the support of some county officers and others. Now they’re lining up more money.

The 12-member group, which is trying to get legislative approval to put a charter government proposal on the ballot, has been volunteering its time for the past two years. But now they have to start paying a lawyer, and that could cost up to $10,000.

The charter government would establish such measures as term and campaign finance limits, residency requirements and recall provisions for county commissioners.

Resident Tina McGough, who has been leading the effort to get a charter government approved, told the Beaches Coalition this week that the group needs donations to pay for an attorney and for filing fees.

“We initially engaged the attorney to help us understand the process,” McGough said. “Then we thought it would be a good idea to have him track this bill as it goes through the legislative process in case it gets hung up.” She said the attorney fees could be between $2,500 and $10,000. The group is working with attorney David Ramba of Tallahassee.

Beaches Coalition President Clara Cowan said the residents supporting the charter have spent a tremendous amount of time and effort on the project and shouldn’t also be expected to pay the attorney fees. Cowan and nine other members of the coalition voted in favor of donating $1,000 for attorney’s fees.

County Commissioner Tom Manuel, who represents the Ponte Vedra area, said Thursday that he, his aide Al Abbatiello, McGough, and other citizens also have stepped forward with their own donations to help cover the fees. Manuel said anyone else wishing to donate can do so by contacting McGough.

McGough said the group has the political backing it needs.

“The charter is moving along the path that we set out,” McGough said. “It is going to become a special law by the Legislature. … It’s also supported by the constitutional officers – the sheriff, the tax collector, the property appraiser, the clerk of courts and the municipalities.”

McGough said, however, that the citizens group has been funding a lawyer out-of-pocket for the past few weeks to help guide the draft through the right channels to get it to the Legislature in its final form.

Typically, a county commission leads a move to put a charter government on the ballot, but since this was pursued by volunteer residents, they are responsible for making sure that it doesn’t get held up in the legislative process and that the public is well aware of the implications of the charter before they vote on it.

In a move to cut down on lawyer fees, McGough has asked members of the media not to contact the attorney unless they’re willing to pay for his time.

“As we citizens are incurring the cost of the attorney, we ask that you respect our desire to manage and minimize costs,” McGough wrote in an e-mail. “Please do not contact the attorney we have hired unless you make specific arrangements for payment for services to be billed to you or your firm. The Charter group will not take responsibility for costs incurred by reporters.”christina.abel@jacksonville.com, (904) 249-4947, ext. 6319

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