City Commissioner withdraws from Democratic Party Chair

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A little over two weeks after putting his name in the running to lead the Florida Democratic Party a Tallahassee city commissioner has now withdrawn his name.

Jeremy Matlow, seat 3 on the city commission, said he got into the race initially after seeing “an abuse of power” from Florida Republicans.

“Over the last couple of weeks however, we’ve seen some alarming parallels in city government,” Matlow said.

Matlow said revelations of City Manager Reese Goad blocking staff level access to public documentshas become an issue that “needs my undivided attention over the next month.”

Matlow said a treasurer clerk’s employee with the city had his access revoked to some of those records “by the city manager.”

“We have an imminently qualified attorney who makes her opinions based on the law and we had our city manager directly challenge those opinions,” Matlow said. “This is a huge overreach of authority and to our checks and balances of government.”

Matlow said he raised the issue at the last city commission meeting as to why Goad was taking away access to public records from the treasurer clerk.

“Was he consulting with outside attorneys to challenge the city attorney on legal guidance,” Matlow asked Goad during the previous meeting. “And he didn’t really give solid answers so we really don’t know what the motivation was.”

Matlow said the City Manager has sent emails directly challenging the legal opinion of the city attorney “giving his version and his opinions” with no legal merit to do so.

Matlow said the slew of issues, overreaching executive authority, challenging legal opinions of the city attorney, “challenging the custodian of records and not releasing public documents” are answers “I’m going to find out.”

To this point, it is unclear records the one treasurer clerk’s employee had access to previously before it was revoked but Matlow said “at the end of the day public records are public records.”

“The treasurer clerk is the custodian of public records, his office should have full access,” Matlow said. “I hear other members of his office still have full access, so it’s not completely taken off but the city manager needs to answer the question.”

Matlow said rejecting legal guidance from the city attorney puts the entire commission in danger of a liability.

“You can be sued personally and be held liable if you don’t follow the law and the legal guidance given,” Matlow said.

However, he said Goad needs to answer as to “why you are limiting someone who’s job it is to search public records from accessing the system.”

Matlow said those public records contain such exchanges like text messages and emails.

“What I’ve always wanted to see is open, honest, transparent government,” Matlow said. “All the disagreements are normal, all these power grabs are concerning.”

Goad said he had no comment on Matlow’s “political theater or his political aspirations.”

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