LABELLE — One of the public commentors at the regular meeting of the Hendry County Commission on Tuesday, May 26, appeared to be very upset about an issue he says that has been going on for three years.

Randy Miller began his allotted three minutes of speaking by saying, “This is going to be my last meeting because I’ve been coming here for three years and since I’ve been coming here trying to state the facts and stuff and I’ve been threatened, intimidated, violated. Everything I’ve asked to do, nothing’s been done.”

He went on to claim that Court Attorney Matt Raulerson had threatened him with a felony. “He said that I recorded a meeting,” Miller said. “A meeting that don’t exist.” Mister Miller said that he requested records of a meeting that consisted of himself, Matt Raulerson and Tommy Bond but was told there was no record.

Miller appeared to be very frustrated over this issue and began speaking about the state of the country, claiming that he was being slandered and threatened and receiving no help with the matter from the board.

After about a minute and a half Chairperson Ramon Iglesias interrupted Mister Miller saying that the board was going to move on to which Miller replied, “Well that’s fine. That’s fine. Don’t have any answers? You’re okay with them threatening me with a felony?”

Commissioner Michael Atkinson then asked Miller what law had been violated and Miller said it was the Sunshine Law.

The Sunshine Law states: Florida's Sunshine Law (Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution and Chapter 286, Florida Statutes) establishes a fundamental "right of access" to governmental proceedings. It mandates that all meetings of state, county, and municipal boards or commissions must be open to the public, reasonably noticed in advance, and officially recorded. [1, 2, 3]

“They are not on a board together,” Commissioner Mitchael Wills explained to Miller, referring to Matt Raulerson and Tommy Bond, the two people Miller allegedly met with and recorded.

Chair Iglesias then motioned to himself and the other four commissioners and said, “This is the sunshine law, us five speaking.”

Iglesias’ point was that if a meeting took place between Randy Miller, Tommy Bond and Matt Raulerson it would not qualify as a government proceeding and it would not fall under the protection of the Sunshine Law.

The board members again told Miller that it was time to move on but before he left, he once again said that it would be his last time coming to a meeting because the next time he comes “most of you will be voted off.”