New Florida law requiring local elected officials to disclose detailed financial information leads to resignations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of local elected officials in communities across Florida have resigned or are considering quitting their positions before a new law requires them to disclose detailed financial information.

There have been 15 resignations throughout Pinellas County, three resignations in North Palm Beach and 16 officials in West Palm Beach are either quitting or considering it.

Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Carlucci said Jacksonville’s elected leaders have always had to fill out Form 6, which asks for assets, net worth, liabilities, businesses and incomes.

A new state law said mayors and other elected officials have until Jan. 1 to fill it out.

Until now, some of these leaders only had to fill out what’s known as “Form 1,″ a less detailed financial disclosure.

Carlucci, who was part of the ethics commission, said the change is for transparency and protection.

“We saw two things, lots of conflicts of interest that came up and they were identified because of the form six form. And the second thing it did was it, we saw a lot of people who did not fill out the form correctly,” Carlucci said. “Let say that I’m investing in such and such development company, and that development company has a development come before the body that I’m sitting on, and I vote in favor of it because it’s a developer that will help that company make a lot of money, which in turn will make my investment make more money, that would be a conflict. And those conflicts happen at times. These disclosures when filled out correctly, mitigate those kinds of problems.”

Those who have resigned say it’s “a complete invasion of privacy” and “an attack on home rule and…small municipalities.”

Carlucci said any size municipality deals with thousands of dollars that need to be accounted for.

If officials don’t fill out the form, they could face fines or even impeachment.

Those who resigned will have to be replaced so people in those areas will have continued representation. Carlucci said he understands people want privacy, but he said there are sacrifices to serving the public.

Form 6 has already applied to people elected to any county office, such as sheriff, a county commission seat or school board. It’s also applied to Jacksonville’s mayor.