Florida League of Cities Contributor The Florida League of Cities announced that Monticello Vice Mayor Katrina Richardson recently received the Bronze Certificate of Merit from the Certificate Program for Elected Municipal Officials…
Category: Government
FDOT makes big change to LPR placements
Christian Peterson ECB Publishing, Inc. On Monday, Aug. 31, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that local law enforcement agencies will have to remove automated license plate recognition systems (LPRs) within…
County officials decide how to divvy up $14M in oil spill money
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners recently identified five key projects that they want to pursue, should the undertakings qualify for the $14 million or so…
School board tentatively budgets $23M
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. At a brief, preliminary budget hearing on Monday, July 27, the Jefferson County School Board voted unanimously to tentatively set the millage rate at 5.296 mills (same…
County manager earns new credential
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recently presented County Manager Douglas Baber with the certificate of credentialed manager, a hard-earned designation that signifies proven professionalism, hands-on experience…
Monticello may approve new city manager contract Aug. 19
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Monticello may soon have a new city manager, provided that the ongoing contract negotiations with its top-ranked choice pan out. The promising prospect is Marcus M. Collins,…
Building Momentum: Reflecting on My First 60 Days Serving Jefferson County
Douglas Baber Jefferson County Manager When I stepped into the role of Jefferson County Manager two months ago, I brought with me a simple promise to our community. Working under the leadership…
County manager addresses expressed concerns over animal control
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. County Manager Doug Baber recently addressed rumors that had been circulating on social media about the county allegedly carrying out mass euthanizations and animal control lacking transparency….
Early voting for the primary continues through Aug. 16
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Registered voters are reminded that early voting for the primary runs from Monday, Aug. 3, through Aug. 16, with the primary Election Day set for Tuesday, Aug….
Audit shows county’s finances vastly improved
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners recently received a glowing audit report, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Clerk of Court Trey Hightower…
Mosquito control building getting needed upgrade
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Expect to see the building that houses the county’s mosquito control operation off U.S. 19 get a facelift and a structural upgrade in the coming months. At…
Mackiewicz hit with additional charges – over 1,600 child porn images found –
Hailey Waldo ECB Publishing, Inc. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), on Monday, July 20, deputies arrested Kurt Mackiewicz on a warrant related to his initial arrest on May 19….
County hires special counsel for land-use issues
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The county has hired an attorney who is well versed in planning and land-use law to represent it on such matters on an as-needed basis in the…
Two new state laws restrict local officials’ taxing ability
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Two property tax bills that legislators passed in the last special session and that Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed into law will significantly impact local governments’ ability…
New county manager now on the job
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Newly-hired County Manager Douglas Baber officially took over the reins of the office on Monday, June 22, per the employment contract that the Jefferson County Board of…
Correction to “Building and planning permit fees may increase”
Correction: The Monticello News erred in the story posted online on June 27, regarding the Jefferson County Commission approving a proposal to hire a consultant to conduct a study of the current…
County-sponsored ceremony honors veterans
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. County officials recently pulled out all the stops to honor local veterans, thanks to the efforts of Interim Manager Ron Russo, staff and others in the community,…
County considers moratorium on data centers
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Like many other communities across Florida that have declared bans or moratoriums on data centers in keeping with a new state law, Jefferson County is in the…
Boston Highway set for improvement
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Another county road is set for improvement. This time it’s a section of CR-149 or the Boston Highway, a primary rural corridor that runs from U.S. 19…
Property once slated for shrimp company is resold
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Jefferson County recently resold a 10-acre property off U.S. 19 next to the industrial park that it had previously agreed to sell to a Texas-based company that…