By Carl Fish, Daily Ridge News
The Daily Ridge began looking into the July 22, 2025 Dundee Town Commission meeting after a resident, Michelle Lee Thompson, posted on Facebook expressing her disappointment with how the meeting unfolded. In her post, she said dozens of residents came to Town Hall to ask commissioners not to raise the property tax millage ceiling to the maximum allowable rate of 9.8679 mills, which is nearly a 33% increase over the rollback rate of 7.9 mills.
Thompson wrote, “Despite our unified voices, the Commission voted 5–0 to adopt the highest allowable rate. I’m disappointed … when the entire room pleads for moderation and compromise, and the vote is still unanimous … it’s hard not to feel unheard.”
Wanting to verify the record of that meeting, I went to Town Hall on Tuesday, August 12, just after 3 p.m., to request a copy of the official minutes.
No Minutes Online, or in the Building
Before going, I had checked the town’s website. No minutes for the July 22 meeting were posted, nor were any from the past several months. At the front desk, the staff were polite and helpful, but they too could not find the minutes online.
I asked to speak with Town Clerk Erica Anderson, but I was told she was out sick. Anderson is notable because she previously won a $550,000 settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit against the City of Haines City, where she alleged retaliation, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace.
Her assistant was said to be working that day but “not in the building at this time.”
I told them I would wait.
Commissioner Bertram A. Goddard happened to walk in for what appeared to be a budget meeting. I introduced myself as Carl Fish with Daily Ridge News and explained why I was there. He said he would try to find someone who could help. Later, I was told the Town Manager would be in. The title “interim” is what I was presumed, but I honestly do not know his proper title, since the August 8 meeting, which was called specifically to discuss the town manager’s position, also has no minutes available.
Soon after, Commissioner Mary Richardson arrived. She immediately agreed that minutes should be available to the public and took the time to help me look for Town Manager Joseph Carbone. We searched inside and outside the building before finding him.
Carbone brought me into the secured office area that requires visitors to be buzzed in. He asked me to wait in the hallway while he went into an office down the hall. It appeared that multiple people were huddled together in that office, peeking out to see who was asking for the minutes. After a short time, Carbone returned and told me they were working on it, then asked me to wait back in the lobby.
I waited another 20 minutes, but as the clock passed 4 p.m., I had to leave for another commitment. Before leaving, I told the front desk I would return and specifically requested the minutes from July 22, the August 8 meeting, and the August 12 meeting that was taking place that same day.
What I Received
I came back Friday, August 15, around 11 a.m. I again asked for the minutes. This time, one of the clerks went to the back and returned with what they had. What I received was not a proper set of minutes. Instead, it looked like incomplete shorthand notes on two pages. They were missing clear documentation of votes, motions, and discussion.
I left my business card that day and asked for the town manager to call me as soon as possible. As of the time of writing this article, no call has been received.
Florida Law on Meeting Minutes
Florida’s Sunshine Law (Section 286.011, Florida Statutes) requires that:
Minutes of all public meetings must be promptly recorded. They must be open to public inspection. They must accurately reflect what occurred, including motions and votes.
Florida’s Public Records Law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) also requires that these records be made available for inspection and copying.
The documents I was given do not meet those requirements. They lacked proper detail, failed to show the official actions taken, and were not made promptly available either at Town Hall or online. If a citizen or member of the press cannot access accurate meeting minutes weeks after a key vote, that raises serious questions about compliance with state law.
Residents Deserve Better
This inquiry began because a Dundee resident spoke out. Michelle Lee Thompson’s Facebook post reflected the frustration of many who attended the July 22 meeting. She described a room full of residents urging moderation, only to watch commissioners unanimously approve the highest allowable rate.
The record of that meeting should be clear, detailed, and accessible to the public. Instead, residents and the press are left with incomplete paperwork, missing records, and no answers.
* Carl Fish is one of the cofounders of the Daily Ridge and has been covering news in Polk County for 19 years.
