The heads of state and government of the Welaka empowered investigations to fail to complete mandatory audits – 104.5 wokv

Welaka, Florida – Welaka, a city in the Putnam district, could lose its city charta depending on the results of an authorized investigation manager.

At a city council meeting on Tuesday, the leaders announced that it would respond to Florida until Friday, failure to submit an exam to the state.

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Each Florida community has to submit an audit with the state that shows how it spends its money to ensure accounting obligation to improve financial management and maintain public trust. However, Welaka didn't.

“We all hope that we had more time early on. I could have seen it, but we are here, ”said city walt of Jeremiah Blocker in a meeting on Tuesday evening.

Internal emails show that this was done on the clock of the then mayor Jamie Watts.

Action News Jax previously reported that Watts was involved in a sexing scandal that put the city on shaky legal reasons. There were allegations of harassment and revenge porn.

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State records now indicate that Watts endanger the city's financing.

“We had been warned several times and none of us knew anything about it,” said city councilor Kimberly Dugger at the meeting on Tuesday.

From 2023, the joint legislative examination board watts made aware that the city was out of compliance and the consequences of it.

The committee pursued several times and finally put on the Ministry of Agreement to hold back money from the city until the necessary audits were completed. That finally happened at the end of 2024.

The city council said they only found out on Tuesday. They were told that they have to answer by Friday and 45 days later before the state can take measures against them.

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“She said it doesn't look good that they have been in this situation for three years and we have not received an answer,” said interim mayor Jessica Finch.

The former mayor spoke on Tuesday at the meeting on Tuesday and blamed an employee of the city. Watts said it was not his fault because the city leaders had pushed him out.

“The fact is that we were a green, she came in, had no training … there was no malicious intention here,” said Watts, “said Watts

On Tuesday, the Council stood up to hire an external group to examine the problem while trying to deal with the state.

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“My recommendation is to inform the state of Florida that we are doing this, and hopefully it buys us for some time,” said Blocker.

The council also wants to meet every month until this is set.

If two city council members and the interim mayor soon leave, a large part of this work will fall on the next leaders.

“This is very, very, very bad. We have our next meeting, the new mayor here, two new council members. They are coming into a chaos, ”said a resident of the city at the meeting.

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