Bay County, Florida has a long and storied history of political scandals, beginning with its formation in 1913. Representatives from five Bay Area towns met in Panama City to select a name for the proposed new county. After much discussion, they chose 'Bahia' as it was satisfactory for most citizens and distinctive of the territory that would be included. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a celebration was held in City Park (now known as McKenzie Park) with grilled meats provided by the city, music, boat races, and baseball and swimming games. In 1997, Margaret (now 77) visited the property that had once belonged to her mother and shared her memories of life in early Bay County. However, it wasn't until November 2017 that federal indictments were handed down against former Lynn Haven City Manager Michael White, former Lynn Haven Community Service Director David Horton, David White and Shannon Rodriguez (specialists in erosion control), and Joshua Anderson (of Greenleaf Lawn Care).The FBI document also revealed that Anderson had received help from the Lynn Haven Police Department to go to and from a hairdressing appointment in Panama City Beach during times when traffic in Bay County had come to a standstill after Hurricane Michael. The Lynn Haven corruption case seemed to expand the alleged corruption scandal in Bay County after Hurricane Michael beyond Lynn Haven.
On Tuesday night, thousands of pages of documents were released to the public following a request from News 13 and others to access evidence in the case. This 45-page document alleged that the GAC and Executive Director White had defrauded Bay County, other local municipalities, and schools in the Bay District out of “millions of dollars”.Bense and Gainer are two Bay County business and political leaders who have enjoyed the highest regard for a long time. After Baker's arrest, then-state prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit, Glenn Hess, stated that corruption in Bay County was not a new problem. The Indian River Lagoon is critical to Brevard's economy and lifestyle, so there were political ramifications when the county dumped 20 million gallons of wastewater into the estuary after Hurricane Irma. As more documents are released to the public, it will be interesting to see what other secrets are uncovered about Bay County's past. It is clear that this area has had its share of issues over the years.
