ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The future of the man at the helm of St. Johns County is in question after a commissioner raised concerns about workplace culture within county administration.
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On Friday, commissioners will hold a special meeting to discuss County Administrator Hunter Conrad’s contract just months after they unanimously approved renewing it. His contract was renewed with a more than $30,000 raise to $248,000 in March, about nine months before it was set to expire in December of this year.
“I’m very worried about the workplace environment and culture that seems to be growing here amongst county staff,” County Commissioner Sarah Arnold said during a June 20 commission meeting. “This is going further into what I believe to be a dangerous precedent and troublesome culture in the county.”
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Arnold made the comments because she said several county directors came to her in private for fear of retaliation after a “hasty” meeting to set the groundwork for a new rule about access to commissioners.
She said directors are now required to get the administration’s approval before a one-on-one meeting.
“We can no longer have one-on-one direct access with our directors — and open conversation lines. It seems we can no longer talk directly with our staff without it being reported,” she said last week.
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“During my tenure, I certainly have never heard of any problems with that public or private communication other than Commissioner Arnold’s problem today,” Conrad said. “It’s within my authority as your administrator to call directors meetings whenever I please … by policy and by code, the administration is supposed to have everything funneled through them. That’s not to restrict information or access to commissioners. That’s to make sure that all commissioners are provided with the same level of service and information.”
Conrad was hired as the full-time county administrator in 2020, and his new contract was not set to expire until 2026. During last week’s meeting, no other commissioners raised concerns.
In March, Action News Jax’s Robert Grant reported on a former county employee’s concern about renewing Conrad’s contract.
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Trey Asner was the county’s cultural resource coordinator but claimed he was forced out of the position, which has since been expunged. He said he wasn’t surprised the contract is back up for discussion this week.
“In some cases, I felt I was safe until I wasn’t. I could question certain things, but I couldn’t question certain things. Tenacious subjects like the Hastings High School,” he explained.
In his previous position, Asner worked to protect historical landmarks like Hastings High School. He claimed county administration asked him to hide a report from the Cultural Resource Review Board. He added his direct bosses weren’t the problem, but there was pressure from higher-ups.
“They do operate with an understanding that they do not want to get in trouble with administration,” Asner said.
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Arnold voiced concerns about the city’s ability to recruit and retain employees. Action News Jax requested all the names of directors under Conrad’s tenure and their time with the county. A representative said they are processing that request, as well as our request for comment on the situation.
Conrad acknowledged last week he would “gladly step aside” if board members “don’t like the direction [the county] is going.”
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