BOCC Chairman Jim Adkins acknowledged the benefits of social media on 07/26/16, but also reminded those in the chamber and watching the video broadcast that there have been misuses of social media. Drawing conclusions from partial or incorrect information, posting pictures/video, or sharing deliberate misinformation can have disastrous or unintended consequences, he said.
Gun manufacturer Mossberg announced in 2014 its plans to leave Connecticut due to the increasingly restrictive gun laws that were passed in that state. Several states courted Mossberg with incentives to open a facility, Florida among them. Adkins referenced recent Facebook accusations that stated Hernando County lost a potential economic boost by not following through with an opportunity to bring Mossberg to the area.
“If people had only asked,” Adkins said, “the correct information could have been given.” Adkins asked County Administrator Len Sossamon to respond to the comments relating not only to Mossberg but to other potential companies.
On 07/21/16 a Facebook post set off a chain of negative comments leveled at the BOCC, Sossamon himself, and the Office of Business Development (OBD) for their “collective failures in the realm of recruiting firearms manufacturers to relocate their businesses to Hernando County.” Some accusations were aimed directly at Sossamon, others targeted the BOCC and the relationship with previous OBD Director Mike McHugh. The overall theme, Sossamon said, was a critiquing of the County’s efforts to improve economic development in the County.
McHugh, whose work with Hernando County began in March 2002, became Director of OBD and later Manager of Economic Development, until August 2013. Sossamon, who was hired as County Administrator in 2012, listed his letter to Stag Arms on 06/24/13 as the first attempt to bring a firearms manufacturer to the county. The company settled on a location near Myrtle Beach, SC rather than Florida. The letter was “reconstituted” by McHugh and sent to a number of other manufacturers beginning a week later, including one to Iver Mossberg. By August 2013, McHugh resigned.
Sossamon advised that follow up letters were sent to Mossberg, citing the Mossberg family’s relationship with Hernando County Commissioner Candidate Jimmy Lodato, and while some manufacturers responded, no answer was ever received from Mossberg. In 2014, Mossberg moved the majority of their manufacturing operation to their existing facility in Eagle Pass, TX. The company headquarters stayed in Connecticut. In April 2014, Sossamon stated that 360 more letters were sent to firearms manufacturers.
Lodato explained his 25-year personal relationship with the Mossberg family as they had both been residents of Tierra Verde in Pinellas County. McHugh’s letter to Mossberg was at Lodato’s request, but according to Mossberg, they never received any communication from Hernando County.
Referring to the Facebook controversy, Lodato stated he has tried to be helpful to the County due to his business contacts, and believes “more dialogue” with a personal contact like Mossberg may have made a difference. Looking at the document Sossamon provided, Rowden noted that there were several letters to Mossberg’s offices in Connecticut and one to the Tierra Verde address, but no response from Mossberg.
Lodato expressed concern that there was no follow up, either with another letter or a personal visit after McHugh left. “If we have these contacts we need to move forward and personally visit these companies,” Lodato said.
Adkins responded that Mossberg likely had no intention of moving anywhere but their Texas facility, but asked Lodato and anyone else to provide contacts of business entities which might be interested in relocating to Hernando County.
Commissioner Wayne Dukes stated that though the memo read by Sossamon was nice, and he appreciated Adkins’ reasons for asking for the memo, it didn’t make a difference. “If you look at the real reason people do this, and you look at the names and you recognize the names, it’s personal attacks for personal gain,” Dukes said, “But unfortunately, I don’t know if it really matters or not.” Adkins agreed, stating that facts are important, “unless you have a personal agenda.”
Commissioner Diane Rowden said that commissioners are often “bashed” when out in public for failing to bring in “big businesses”. CareerSource is participating in the training of employees for E-TeleQuote, which expects to pay an average of $20/hour plus commission. Rowden recalled that when McHugh left in 2013, the BOCC voted to give Sossamon a six-month probationary period as McHugh’s successor. Sossamon stated of the 70 jobs promised by December, there are already 55 new hires in training.
Rowden stated that Sossamon has done an excellent job for the County since adding McHugh’s job to his own. She listed figures such as: 250% increase in added square footage, 240% job retention rate, 212% job expansion, and 190% new jobs. “If it’s broken, I’d like to see where it is,” Rowden said.
Adkins repeated his call for anyone to provide contacts the County can pursue. “If you have a legitimate business that wants to come into Hernando County, we are all for it.”