Tea party picks up ethics issue as Gov. Scott retreats - St. Petersburg Times By Michael C. Bender, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau 

Under attack, Governor Rick Scott's record actually shows considerable results in stopping dysfunctional government.  High on the list is a direct focus on highly dysfunctional Water District's growth and policy policy problems.  Much of Governor Scott's efforts promote fair and balanced job growth efforts.  Ethics by governmental officials is a core principle of Scott's reform efforts.  Fairness to all parties must be a guiding principle when reforming deeply ingrained ethics issues. 

State of Florida Ethics Commission asked to interprete Florida Statute 112.3136 Standard of conduct for officers and employees of entities serving as chief administrative officer of political subdivisions.  http://www.ethics.state.fl.us/ethics/Chapter_112.html#ch1123136

"Public officer" includes any person elected or appointed to hold office in any agency, including any person serving on an advisory body. 

(4)No appointed public officer shall participate in any matter which would inure to the officer's special private gain or loss; which the officer knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of any principal by whom he or she is retained or to the parent organization or subsidiary of a corporate principal by which he or she is retained; or which he or she knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of a relative or business associate of the public officer, without first disclosing the nature of his or her interest in the matter. 

Marion County Commissioners are struggling with conflict of interest issues arising from contracts for goods and services awarded to persons on both the marketing and governing board of the Ocala Visitor and Convention Agency of Marion County.

125.0104 FS, is currently interpreted to allow a conflict of interest as in County Officials awarding their own companies contracts that appear to be in direct violation of Statute not allowing financial gain from official acts.  Governor Scott may have to settle the apparent waving of Conflict of Interest Law by parties benefiting financially directly from their official actions. 

 Florida Statute used to allow special conflict of interest.

125.0104  Tourist development tax; procedure for levying; authorized uses; referendum; enforcement.— 

Section 4. (e)  The governing board of each county which levies and imposes a tourist development tax under this section shall appoint an advisory council to be known as the “  (name of county)   Tourist Development Council.” The council shall be established by ordinance and composed of nine members who shall be appointed by the governing board. The chair of the governing board of the county or any other member of the governing board as designated by the chair shall serve on the council. Two members of the council shall be elected municipal officials, at least one of whom shall be from the most populous municipality in the county or subcounty special taxing district in which the tax is levied. Six members of the council shall be persons who are involved in the tourist industry and who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development, of which members, not less than three nor more than four shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations in the county and subject to the tax.