ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County has appointed Richard Komando as its new attorney, a decision that sparked pushback from residents.
The selection came after a narrow 3-2 vote by the county commissioners, which left some community members shocked and disappointed.
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Nicole Crosby, a St. Johns County resident, expressed her dismay at the outcome, saying, “I am shocked and disappointed. I really didn’t see the vote going that way today,” she said.
Three finalists were considered for the position: Richard Komando, the interim attorney for St. Johns County, Michael Rodriguez, and Bradley Bulthuis.
All three candidates are seasoned attorneys, but residents voiced concerns specifically about Komando’s appointment, attributing their apprehension to the fact that he operates through a law firm and already represents multiple other counties.
“I’m not a fan of a firm,” one resident stated, highlighting doubts about Komando’s ability to serve the county effectively.
Crosby added, “Mr. Komando has demonstrated time and again that he is not the best choice for us. Many of us didn’t even know that he was acting as a firm this whole last year and not an independent attorney. We just recently found this out.”
Before the vote, Komando spoke to News4JAX about his capacity to serve St. Johns County while also representing other counties, acknowledging the challenge but ultimately stating that he believes he can get the job done.
The final vote saw commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst supporting Komando, while Krista Joseph, the chair, and Ann Taylor opposed him.
Clay Murphy, who was initially hesitant, ultimately voted in favor of Komando after suggesting that his firm could bring valuable resources to the county, saying, “I think that members of Mr. Komando’s whatever group or firm, I think could help us bring home the bacon. I really think that some thing that we really ought to think about.”
Joseph reminded Murphy of the county attorney’s responsibilities, saying, “The role of a county attorney is to protect our county. To help us with our land decisions.”
In the end, Komando was appointed as the new county attorney and said he is looking forward to living and working in St. Johns County.
When asked about whether he’ll physically by in the office 40 hours a week, he replied, “That’s something we’ll have to talk about through the negotiations.”