- April 25, 2024
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County Commissioner Barbara Revels (File photo)
The Flagler County Commission voted unanimously Nov. 21 to reimburse Commissioner Barbara Revels for a portion of the legal expenses she paid to defend herself against charges before the Ethics Commission.
Revels herself was on vacation, and was not present at the commission meeting.
Revels had faced three related charges before the Ethics Commission, all concerning her vote on the purchase the old Memorial Hospital property for use as a new Sheriff’s operations center.
The Ethics Commission fined Revels $2,500 over two of the allegations, finding that she had twice, without disclosing a potential conflict of interest, voted on the hospital purchase even though she was a business associate of the property’s owners through shares in Intracoastal Bank.
But the Ethics Commission did not find probable cause on the third charge, which alleged that Revels had accepted something of value meant to influence her vote by accepting an increase in her line of credit at the bank.
The reimbursement that will be provided by the county will cover the $1,037 in legal expenses associated with Revels’ successful defense on that third charge.
The motion through which the County Commission approved reimbursement of Revels’ legal fees stated that the allegation concerned a matter that arose out of Revels’ public duties and that successfully defending against the allegation served a public purpose.
