By Mike Lednovich
The ultra-conservative political group County Citizens Defending Freedom-Nassau is proposing a retired local financial expert become the next city manager of Fernandina Beach.
The businessman is David Howe, a former Fidelity financial executive now retired and living in Fernandina Beach.
In a March 29 email from CCDF-Nassau Executive Director Jack Knocke to a group of CCDF members Knocke wrote: “There is a local guy who could be an excellent City Manager. He was a CFO for Fidelity in Japan, treasurer for a school district in Vermont and Treasurer for a city in Vermont. He lives here now and wants to help our city. Everyone he has met locally has been super impressed. With the current timing, David could be an interim city manager working with Foxworth and then on his own to try him out.
“I would like to introduce him to y’all. Let me know if you are up for a group meeting. – Jack”
Also receiving the email were two members of the Citizens City Manager Search Committee charged with vetting city manager applicants and then making a recommendation on finalists to the City Commission. The two committee members were Steve Simmons appointed by Vice Mayor David Sturges and Tim Poynter appointed by Commissioner James Antun.
The Citizens Committee will hold its first meeting April 17.
“CCDF-Nassau has no position on Mr. Howe. He came to me with an interest in helping the city – even volunteering as an unpaid consultant. Whether he wants to be a candidate for city manager is up to David,” Knocke said in an email to the Fernandina Observer. “I was introduced to someone with strong credentials and a great attitude. I forwarded his information.”
Howe said he was unaware of the CCDF Knocke email and knows nothing about the organization.”I stay out of politics, I haven’t looked at them,” he said.
Howe’s name was first raised by Knocke in a February text to Mayor Bradley Bean.
According to text records obtained by the Fernandina Observer, on February 24, Knocke texted Mayor Bean of a financial expert named David Howe. Knocke texted “David Howe is a financial and municipal treasury expert may be willing to assist FB team on budgets for no cost.”
Howe said he purchased his Fernandina Beach home in 2020 and became a fulltime resident in November of 2022.
“I want to help and I care for this town,” Howe said,
Howe’s resume states he was Fidelity Investments’ Japan chief financial officer in the late 1990s responsible for meeting Ministry of Finance financial reporting requirements, implementation of business plan, and budget forecast. Howe says, “The successful creation of this new company is considered a major milestone in Fidelity’s corporate history.”
He was director of operations for Finance Fidelity Capital, the venture capital arm of Fidelity.
Howe also lists municipal and public service experience in Vermont from 2000 to 2015.
He was elected Town of Fairfield treasurer. He says, “In this position, I identified (discovered) spending practices that were contrary to the state code. This work led to the town conducting annual audits of town financial records.”
He was on the School Board of Franklin County and worked for about seven years to improve student education and to control spending in Vermont. He wrote, “As a school board member, I discovered that those who control the budget process control the agenda.”
He is adamant that he won’t apply for the city manager’s position unless he is asked to so by all five city commissioners. “I also won’t take the job unless it’s a unanimous 5-0 vote by the commission,” Howe said.
CCDF-Nassau was active in the 2022 City Commission elections sending candidates a questionnaire on such issues as critical race theory, gay rights, abortion and Civil War monuments. The group endorsed Commissioners Darron Ayscue and Antun after they answered they opposed all of the listed cultural issues.
Media outlets have said CCDF is “The group calls itself an organization that empowers and equips American citizens to defend their freedoms and liberties at the local level. CCDF has been involved in efforts to remove books from school libraries in Polk County, Fl. and Travis County, Texas and a lawsuit questioning the results of a local referendum election in Montgomery County, Texas. In Collin County, Texas, CCDF worked to have churches in each of the county’s school districts start their own “Community Impact Ministry” in order to “bring back biblical values by participating in civic duties within their communities.”
Locally, Nassau CCDF was part of a movement that resulted in the ousting of former Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin with Knocke telling the city commission Martin should be fired.
So are we now seeing the real agenda?
Public records requests show Knocke has requested to be copied on all City communications. He has a direct line to Bean.
CCDF is a propaganda hate group.
Yep. Ditto.
Supporting the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers is a propaganda hate group? On what planet? Other than the left wing spew from the former commissioner, I see no hate. Requesting all city communications seems right in line with assuring transparency, one of the organ stated goals. Perhaps a bit of that might have been in order before the abrupt firing of Mr. Martin.
Mr. Smith, your question about what constitutes a hate group missed the whole point of Mr. Lednovich’s article. Rather than showing love and inclusiveness, as Jesus did, CCDF has shown itself to be theocratic, divisive, and narrow-minded. I imagine these attributes of CCFT are intentional, as they divert us from the real agenda of promoting corporate bailouts, unregulated capitalism, and the funneling of wealth upwards – hence, the desire to have a “businessman” as city manager.
This group’s actions hardly support first amendment rights.
Bean is losing traction in Fernandina. He can only make so many appearances and pretend to care about the constituents before they start to catch on. “We want to hear from the citizens,” he says. Is he sure about that?
How do we sign up to be included on the inside scoop on all city communications? Seems like we all should be given the same amount of consideration as any other unelected official.
As Nixon’s AG John Mitchell once said, “watch what we do, now what we say.”
Ultimately, financial tranches of time share interests in condos as securities… How far Fernandina Beach has fallen, so quickly. Moving time.
If it is true that Mr. Howe wants to “stay out of politics,” why did he contact a political group (CCDF-Nassau) about his interest in helping rather than directly contacting the city?
The reason the City Manager position was created in the first place was to prevent political parties and politicians from exerting undue influence and power on city government. The expectation was the City Manager would be a professional business manager who is a nonpartisan career civil servant.
Oh no, the paranoid Socialist Democrats are going to lose their stuff now, ordering popcorn and getting the laugh track ready.
Perhaps a research article on Amelia Islands hate groups would be in order. It would be an eye opening look into a side of Nassau county few get to see.
[…] Source […]
https://www.mediamatters.org/alliance-defending-freedom/local-right-wing-group-connected-national-extremists-working-get-lgbtq
Using an ultra left wing, Soros backed media arm, (Media Matters) to discredit a faith based, patriotic, freedom protecting group. Who’s ultra?
See Thomas Jefferson, Richard. Another “Ultra Leftist”… Sure.
There’s nothing Christian about the way this group handled themselves during the recent run-off election. Their so obviously targeted “questionnaire”, along with their also obvious refusal to honestly represent the career accomplishments of the candidates speaks volumes about their deceitful values. They’re dishonest and have very low expectations of the intellect of their constituency- to assume no one will notice.
Aren’t you a CCDF board member?
I see nothing wrong with taking pornography out of schools.
A truism. Kind of like guns. We all want schools to teach, not abuse.
Please share with us your evidence to support that pornography has been found in our schools. No one would disagree with you, if what you say is true. I’m also in favor of removing all bogeymen from the classroom and from politics.
NCSD was presented with a list of 16 books that, in a prior case and in another school district, were found to meet the FL state standard for pornography. The District found that 10 of them were present in elementary, middle and high school libraries. To give them their due, they removed them and then, at my request, developed a protocol to assure us that it would not be repeated.
According to Florida, Michaelangeo’s “David” is pornographic and inappropriate.
Well Mike, stirring the political pot seems to be your forte. Just keep spewing the left wing lunatic talking points and you won’t have to come up with an original thought. You will always some followers but, not enough to outweigh common sense.
Right on, Mike! Keep up the good reporting.
But look in the mirror Mike. You’re part of the problem.
Solution, not the problem, Mike.
Mike, maybe you should have answered the questionnaire instead of hiding your opinions on the subjects from the voters. You lost the election. You need to cut the sour grapes and let the new commission do their job.
They aren’t, that’s why the public interest. Whine on.
Forget the political grand-standing and put your partisan view points aside for a few moments. Any person with an IQ higher than that of a monkey will detect undue influence, hidden agenda’s, propaganda, and all that makes politics the dirty word that it is. Accusing someone of either being socialist left-wing or ultra-conservative nationalist is only deflection from the real issue. Specifically the hi-jacking of the city administration by a group with a very specific and narrow agenda. Irrespective if this agenda is left wing or right wing influenced, it is wrong! The citizens of Fernandina deserve better The elected officials have a moral and fiduciary responsibility to be objective, shut out undue influence and act in the best interests of the people. This is becoming increasingly difficult when every partisan decision is justified by calling the opposing persons (parties) all sorts of unpatriotic and un-american names under the sun. I am not sure what the commissioners think about when assessing their daily achievements before falling asleep at night, but it for sure seems to me it isn’t “did I do the best I could for each and every person I represent?”
Big Dog (whoever you are) — Well said!!
100%
Same old game of name-calling reminds me of watching 7-year olds in the school yard. As a former HR director, if you want to fill a position you look for a track record of success doing exactly what the position calls for. A city manager is not unskilled labor. Candidates personal opinions about people’s private lives, what people read, whether they treasure Confederate statutes and values or women’s reproductive health decisions are irrelevant to the job of a city manager. How about focusing on a track record of successfully working with five bosses, overseeing diverse and complicated city services, budget preparation, fiscal management, establishing and maintaining open and impartial citizen relationships, negotiating complicated contracts, just to name a few areas requiring a skilled, experienced and competent city manager. Get out of the sand box people and act like adults. Fernandina Beach deserves better than mud-slinging.
As a retired HR Executive in both the public and private sectors, I offer the following regarding the value of using a Search Firm. I both used Search Firms and interviewed for positions that had Search Firms running the recruitment.
Advantages:
Full vetting of candidates. They’re effectively telling the employer, “In our expert opinion, we believe these candidates can be successful in this position”.
Assisting the employer in defining what they’re really looking for. Job description modification. What has made previous employees both successful and unsuccessful.
Passive recruiting – They contact candidates who’ve they’ve interviewed before and who’ve done well. They contact individuals they placed and tell them about the opening. They have candidates who’ve contacted them looking for an opportunity.
Selection assistance – At times, selection panels are deadlocked. They can help the panel find the areas of agreement and those of disagreement. They coach until there a decision made.
Guarantee – Search firms offer a guarantee, usually for 12 months, that if the new employee leaves or is terminated, the firm will replace them without a new search fee.
Thank you, Richard! I have been advocating for a professional search firm (with no connections to the commissioners). After 50 years of public sector work at the local, state and federal level, I have seen how “hand-picked” candidates with skin in the game can crash and burn and bring the community/organization down with them. I am most distressed by the clearly partisan politics that have taken over our Fernandina home . . . pitting all of us (left, right or center) against each other in a mirror of the federal situation. We are better than this.
Got a real last name? Or is is another attempt at disparagement by inuendo?
Don’t let Mike Lednovich cloud the real reason he’s not a fan of this guys appointment.
Read the resume… especially this part:
“He was elected Town of Fairfield treasurer. He says, “In this position, I identified (discovered) spending practices that were contrary to the state code. This work led to the town conducting annual audits of town financial records.”
Mike & Chip Ross will fight this with everything, and the past experience listed is just one reason why. Any good auditor will uncover the illegal fee structure in the city. Out of our state laws, “Any fee in excess is considered an illegal tax”. Chip and Mike know this, they don’t want their legacy stained with any discovered illegal behavior, which they both are aware of and have incentivized. If Chip can’t control it, he doesn’t want it. One of the comments is very correct, but not for the reasons stated. It’s not about politics, it’s about control. And keeping a lid on Illegal taxes. The walls are closing in and they know it.
Diaparage and misrepresent on. We had functioning local government. Now it’s an open question.
Difference is, both Mike and Chip know I’m telling the truth. Watch Chip cover. You can believe what you like. I’ll take evidence over feelings.
Sure. Perhaps it’s effectiveness and knowledge you classify as evidence.
Cheese with your whine?
Just up voted your comment and you received a down vote, go figure. Tried to correct to no avail.
“Ultra Conservative” … “right wing” … the moment I see garbage like that I know the content of the article is suspect. And again, what is with people weighing in as “anonymous” or unnamed “guest”?
This is beginning to seem like a pre planned effort by the Republicans on the City Commission (which is supposed to be nonpartisan) to install an ultra conservative City Manager. Probably why Mayor Bean didn’t want a search firm involved!
Now you’ve got it!!!!! All done prior to sunshine.
Here is the “tell” and in Mr. Howe’s own words – “As a school board member, I discovered that those who control the budget process control the agenda.” If a partisan or partisan-backed candidate is selected to control the City of Fernandina’s budget, what happens to the City of Fernandina’s agenda? I would also remind everyone – we need refer back to the city charter! While Mr. Howe may have mad skills in financial affairs, what background does he have to perform the other duties of the City Manger according to our city charter?
Town of Fairfield: 2020 Census: 2044 people, 781 households, 585 families, the median income for a family is $99,471.
Interesting how these groups are formed as a counter to certain narratives and agendas. Three years of 100% lies from our government regarding our response to the Covid 19 scamdemic which the left fully embraced will do that. The illegal mandates struck down by the Supreme Court, the censoring of science by social media at the Democratic Party’s coercion in violation of First Amendment rights, and the continued power grab by those in charge to fulfill its narrative continues to be contested by lawsuits. Any attempt by either of these two sides to bring forth a less than transparent process needs to be vigorously opposed. Cheers to the truth warriors from both sides, that is how the process needs to move forward.
Somehow Lednovich fails to mention he lost for city commissioner; so there’s likely an ax to grind – Lednovich also fails to shine the light on the issues surrounding the former city managed but portends there was an agenda other than what’s best for the city – you ARE NOT TRANSPARENT Mike – list the issues n let the people decide – additionally you claim ccdf is against all cultural issues which is an intentional misstatement- if protecting our innocent children’s minds from indoctrination and protecting our vote are cultural issues you do not support then just say so- but your articles reeks of bitterness and purposeful misinformation – list the questions ALL the candidates were asked and where each candidate stood
Enjoyed your highly charged, subjective diatribe here. It’s part of the problem, not solution. Rant on.
Words – no substance in your comments
Folks that can read judge words for themselves, content for themselves, and motives for themselves., “Nov”, or whomever you call yourself.
Hey Observer! Are you a reputable local news source or a left wing Democratic sounding board for everything Fernandina is not? How about more news and less op eds from defeated politicians?
Jason – do your own homework for once, on all of us you think a “left wing sounding boards”… Our creds are a matter of public record.
Then put them out there
Again, no loner doing your homework for you. It’s why we are in deep trouble. Basic ignorance, compounded by laziness and total lack of critical thinking.
Yup – name calling – no substance – shows who you are
Since you asked, “Nov”… Former Navy Line Officer, JAGC military attorney, and civilian Navy OGC field attorney. Licensed as Third Mate, Oceans, Unlimited Tons (now inactive).Taught Global Studies, U.S. History, Economics, and Government at Fernandina Beach High School until retirement in 2006. Former volunteer with Dog Park and Amelia Island Museum of History. BA, Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia. JD, William and Mary, Law School.
I don’t think that Finance Fidelity Capital is a division of Fidelity Investments. Something does not seem right in the prior employment referenced.
We survived the Tea Party government; we’ll survive this. But only because of citizens like you who are keeping tabs on local government. Thanks. And please keep up the good work.
Your article started with Right Wing, this shows you’re politically orientated, probably Left Wing. This also shows that you put politics before common sense, the biggest problem our country is facing today. If you can’t keep politics out of something you write, you have no business in anything media concerned.
Appointed officials last far longer than elected ones. Don’t we deserve better than this?
City registered voters should have a check mark next to their name in comments section.
Good idea. Then we’ll know who’s to blame for this mess.