An Ethical Issue Has Surfaced In Palmetto Elections

A decade ago in Palmetto, the director of the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was married to a candidate for Mayor of Palmetto. I was conducting a business call with the director of the Palmetto CRA when she asked me if I would be attending a political fundraiser for her  husband. I was caught off guard and mumbled that I was not sure if I would be able to attend. The more I thought about it the angrier I got that a City official would pressure me to contribute money to her husband’s campaign. I wrote a letter to the local paper decrying the New Jersey style of  politics that was being introduced to Palmetto. Fortunately, her husband lost the election to Shirley Groover Bryant and the director of the CRA eventually left the area.

Recently I have become aware of questionable conduct by a candidate for Palmetto City Council Ward 2. Kurt Mattingly, the candidate works for Manatee County as a Construction Project Manager. As part of Mattingly’s duties he administers contracts with Manatee County vendors. He has negotiated and oversees contracts with McIntyre, Elwell and Strammer (MES), a Sarasota company that specializes in all types of commercial building construction throughout the state of Florida. 

Joshua Tomlinson is a Vice President with MES. Phone records obtained from Manatee County show numerous text messages between Mattingly and Tomlinson regarding MES contracts with Manatee County and the Manatee County School Board.

In a text sent to Tomlinson on March 22, 2022, Mattingly appears to send him an invitation to Mattingly’s fundraiser for his Palmetto City Council race. The fundraiser was hosted by several registered Democratic Party voters and one Palmetto City Council member.

After the request was sent to Tomlinson, it appears in the April 26 campaign finance records that Tomlinson contributed $250.00 to Mattingly’s campaign.

It appears that Mattingly tried to redact the campaign event invitation to Tomlinson from what he was required to disclose in the public records request.

Later texts after the fundraiser appear to show Tomlinson asking Mattingly for a reference for a contract with the Manatee County School Board. Mattingly then appears to provide the reference for MES to the School Board.

On April 25th, Mattingly gave Tomlinson information about new Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) requirements before they were turned into the Manatee County Board. On May 9th Mattingly asked Tomlinson if he wanted to increase costs in the GMP contract MES was entering into with Manatee County.

On May 17th Tomlinson asked Mattingly to expedite the signing of a Notice Of Commencement (NOC) on a county project.

When I contacted Joshua Tomlinson about the texts between him and Mattingly, he angrily told me he did not have to talk to me. 

To serve in public office one should behave in an ethical manner. Too many politicians are easily corrupted and as a result the public suffers. Mattingly should have known that inviting a vendor, (whose contract with Manatee County Mattingly oversees), to contribute to Mattingly’s campaign does not smell right. Palmetto should not elect a commissioner who cannot avoid ethical problems.