'It really is a blessing': Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints four to Town of McIntosh Council

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed four people to serve on the Town of McIntosh Council.

The appointments, announced Friday afternoon, were necessary because four of the five town council members decided to leave office due to the controversial Form 6 requirement, which forces elected officials to disclose their financial information.

Those disagreeing with the law said they feared becoming targets for burglars and robbers, and have expressed strong opinions that small town leaders don't need this type of scrutiny. Political leaders had until Jan. 1 to either sign the form or leave office so they would not be penalized.

Other small towns in Marion County also were affected. In Dunnellon, the mayor and one council member stepped aside. City council appointed two people to fill the spots.

In the Town of Reddick, all six council members walked away. As of Friday afternoon, no one had stepped up to serve on the board, according to former Mayor John Vetter.

Despite Form 6, Vetter said he wants to return to his former post. He said he has discussed the issue with his wife and his feelings is he would like to come back as an elected member.

"I'm willing to be the mayor again," Vetter said.

Vetter cannot come back because he said there's not enough members on the board to make a decision.

'Excellent news'

The remaining two Town of McIntosh members were overjoyed with the news of the appointments.

"Excellent news," said Frank Ciotti by phone.

In a text message, Mayor Marshall Roddy thanked the governor.

"With a quorum, now we can vote on the important legislative issues that will protect the heritage and culture of our town," he wrote.

Ciotti said he and Mayor Marshall Roddy are in Altamonte Springs attending a Florida League of Cities meeting.

The appointees

Those appointed by the governor are Eva Callahan, William "Lee" Deaderick, Donald Medeiros and Richard Talbert.

A press release from the governor's office, and some information from Ciotti, provided some insight into the foursome.

Callahan previously served on town council for more than 17 years and was on the council up until November, Ciotti said. According to the release, Callahan was with the Florida Department of Health's Administration and Medical Records Office. A McIntosh Garden Club treasurer, Callahan has lived in McIntosh for more than 20 years.

The owner of Northwest Seafood Inc., Deaderick is a member of the Micanopy Area Cooperative School board of directors and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in food science, according to the governor's office. Deaderick once served on the town council, state officials said.

The governor's office said Medeiros was a professor who coached cross country at the University of South Alabama. A retiree, Medeiros was a member of the United States Army. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Santa Clara and a doctorate from Arizona State University, according to the governor's office.

Ciotti told the paper Medeiros regularly attend meetings and is on the planning commission.

A senior consultant for J. Angle Group, LLC, and part-time Instructor at Florida State Fire College, Talbert is secretary of the City of Ocala Fire Museum Advisory Board, according to the governor's office. Talbert is a member of the McIntosh Lions Club who was recognized as the 2009 “Florida Fire Chief of the Year” by the Florida Cabinet, the release states. Talbert has an associate degree from Eastern Florida State College.

Ciotti said Talbert has been a resident of the town for a few years, serves on many community boards and is a retired fire department captain.

Back to business

Ciotti said the four are "qualified, concerned citizens with knowledge of the town's operation."

"That's a good thing. I'm so happy," Ciotti said.

The mayor said, "These are all dedicated citizens who care about the future of our town and our community."

Now that the town has a full board, Ciotti said he hopes to invite them to Tuesday's meeting and they can get "back to work."

He said one of the things they could decide is whether they want to have a special election in 90 days or wait until November. He said they could also plan ahead for the 2024/2025 budget. The present budget is $450,000. Town council meets once a month.

Relevance: The fight against Form 6 continues, with small towns like Reddick hanging in the balance

Though they were in limbo, Ciotti said they continued to have meetings. He said there were community reports, they received updates on future events and had guest speakers.

Attendance did not drop as people "were still interested and cared" what happened in the community, Ciotti said.

"It really is a blessing," Ciotti said.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: DeSantis appoints four people to serve on Town of McIntosh Council