Florida city could be dissolved due to corruption

Updated
Florida City Could Be Dissolved Due To Corruption
Florida City Could Be Dissolved Due To Corruption


This Florida town might be so corrupt it could be literally wiped off the map.

A new report from CNN details the rampant corruption charges facing officials in Hampton, Florida - from the town's mayor, Barry Layne Moore, who's in jail on drug charges, to police officers who've set up a notorious speed trap to a case involving $1 million in missing funds.

More specifically, a report from The Florida Times-Union says officials 'found sloppy record keeping, that a former clerk had been overpaid by $9,000 and that the city spent $27,000 without showing it was used for a public purpose.'

Florida state lawmakers began calling for the town to be dissolved last month after a state audit of the city's books found 31 violations of local, state and federal law, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

CNN reports if Hampton is dissolved, it would become part of unincorporated Bradford County. Now, residents in the tiny town of 477 people are trying to fight back.

A Facebook page was setup called 'Save Our Town Of Hampton, Fla.'

One of the city's former mayors, Jim Mitzel, told WAWS, 'The government bailed out General Motors, the government bailed out Chrysler. Why can't the State of Florida bail out Hampton? Don't shut our town down.'

Florida state officials agreed to delay moving forward with a plan to dissolve the city, allowing Hampton four weeks to clean up its act and prove it can govern itself.

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