Sumter County Commissioner Garry Breeden has removed himself from the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Commission in the wake of “politicized” statements made by the group’s executive director.
Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Scott used the power of his line-item veto to cut $2.5 million in funding from the state’s regional planning commissions.
Breeden told his fellow Sumter County commissioners on Tuesday evening that he was uncomfortable serving on the Regional Planning Commission after the executive director’s criticism of the governor’s action. After criticizing the governor’s funding cut, Breeden said the executive director added something to the effect that the funding could be restored after the next election, hinting at a possible change at the governor’s mansion.
Breeden said politics, Republican or Democratic, should not be part of that body’s discussion.
Breeden has served for seven years as a Sumter County representative on the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Commission.
Sumter County Administrator Bradley Arnold said that the regional planning commissions are essentially redundancies of planning already being done at the county level.
“I am not sure why you need the middleman in between,” Arnold said.
Commissioner Doug Gilpin agreed the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Commission executive director’s criticism of the governor was inappropriate.
“I support cutting these bureaucratic groups down to a manageable level,” Gilpin added.
For the time being, Sumter County officials will compose a letter to the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Commission expressing their displeasure.
The letter will also express that Sumter County’s roughly $35,000 annual funding for the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Commission could be in jeopardy.
