BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. — Four of Belleair Beach’s seven city council members have resigned over a new state law requiring more public officials to file a detailed financial disclosure that some say is too intrusive.
“It began a few months ago with one council member and then another and another and then another," said Mayor Dave Gattis, who added that another council member has decided to not run for reelection. "I received the final resignation yesterday. Out of the five seats we're having to fill, I only have two qualified candidates.
"Fortunately, that will make it possible for us to do business, but it will make us short-handed."
Belleair Beach is just one of several cities and towns across the Tampa Bay area where elected officials have resigned in the wake of the Florida Commission on Ethics’ new requirements for Form 6. Already required by the governor and state legislators, a new law now requires mayors and elected leaders within municipalities to also complete the form.
In it, they must detail business interests, net worth, plus assets and liabilities worth more than a thousand dollars.
Critics say for career politicians, that’s fine — but for elected leaders in small communities who receive little to no pay for their work — the new law goes too far.
“You have people all over our community that will not volunteer if they have to do a full financial disclosure because it opens them up to possible financial damages, also harassment and certain cases – like in the case of my wife – she would be required to reveal who she does business with and that would reveal to the competition who to go after,” Gattis said.
In the town of Belleair, just a few miles from the city of Belleair Beach, leaders held an emergency meeting Tuesday evening to fill openings after two commissioners resigned over Form 6.
“It's not something they felt they wanted to divulge, and so, I totally understand that,” Mayor Michael Wilkinson said.
He also fears the form’s requirements could potentially keep qualified candidates off the ballots in the future.
“It's unfortunate this came about because it's going to dissuade a lot of people from wanting to serve in the future,” he said, adding the law takes away from “home rule.”
“I believe in the concept of ‘home rule,’ which means that each community can rule themselves, and I think that if our residents in Belleair wanted us to fill this out, I would be more in favor of it.”
In St. Pete Beach, for some, the sentiment is the same.
"I feel it is an intrusion of privacy," said Mark Grill, vice mayor and commissioner for St. Pete Beach. "It's an over-reach by the state government.”
Grill says commissioners already complete a financial disclosure through Form 1.
“It includes our assets, our liabilities, our sources of income. It just doesn't go down to the dollar level. In addition, we are subject to the Sunshine Law, which means that all of our business is open, conducted before the public, and we also go through required state ethics training.”
Grill says he will leave his position at the end of the year. He is one of four commissioners who recently resigned in the wake of the new law. The city will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday, Dec. 21 and every day after Christmas for the rest of the year to address the pending vacancies.
State Sen. Jason Brodeur, who sponsored SB 774 that brought changes to Form 6 requirements, said he did so to bring more transparency in government.
“City officials, presumably with the highest spending authority and the lowest vote count thresholds, have very little transparency, so the bill lined them up with everyone else in public office,” he said in a statement. “I’m not so much concerned about their pay as I am about their spending authority. It takes 82 votes in the Legislature to spend taxpayer dollars. A simple majority in both the Senate (21) and in the House (61)].
"In a city, you can spend tens of millions of dollars with as little as three votes. Taxpayers deserve transparency. If a simple disclosure that hundreds of other elected officials already do makes someone quit, then voters should be glad.”
10 Investigates has counted at least 18 public officials in the Tampa Bay area who have resigned over this new law.
Gattis has started a petition asking legislators to amend Senate Bill 774.
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.