the Home Rule and How Unqualified of White Springs Delivered a Town into Financial Despair

The Town of White Springs did not provide Transparency to its citizens. Joe Griffin, the most hated Town activist was criticized for ordering public records. The Town, law enforcement and its officials did everything possible to keep Griffin and his wife away from the political arena, including trying to place the Griffins in prison. The elected officials were ignorant in managing the Town's finances, including the spending of restrictive funds on salaries, legal expenses and even providing funds for those who were unable to work by forging timesheets. The officials did not follow the state's regulations requiring adherence to budgets and financials and the Town Charter, nor did the staff retain records and receipts. Florida's Home Rule allows the municipalities to govern on their own without restriction . As such these municipalities could break the rules and the laws without fear of repercussion by the government in the form of criminal or civil prosecution.